SageTV Stealing our skins? (1 Viewer)

[ASiDiE]

I was reading a review about sageTV over at HTPCnews and saw this page.

http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=sagetv4_10

The skin they are using to show that you can use different skins with Sage is clearly a MP skin. The Logo is right there...

Took a better look and found this:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=36

CRAZY!

People know a COOL thing when they see it!

 

[wishywashy]

That was just blatently wrong.
Didn't even try to disguise the skin by changeing the logo or other subtle differences.

 

[Khris]

Supposedly this makes it ok:

The images included were all done by the MediaPortal guys. Want to thank in particular Samsonite and Elow. If either of you guys don't want your work used for this purpose just let me know and I will yank it. I don't want to mess up anything you guys are tyring to do.

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10715

 

[ASiDiE]

Yea... I was just pointing it out.. I would think if you did work for one project you really wouldn't want to give it away to every other project... but thats just me.

They could have at least removed the MP icon.

 

[Khris]

I completely agree however I think one of their users pulled all the graphics to incorporate into a SageTV skin. I don't think it was the same user submitting the skin to both sites.

 

[PGPfan]

I wanted to respond to the 'terf war' over skins used at SageTV.

Yes, I'm a Sage user. I've always been impressed with MP, but have found Sage to be more stable FOR ME. What I don't understand (and hope someone will enlighten me) is this thread. MP has used the Microsoft MCE 'skin' for the basis of a large number of skins from what I've seen. It's no different than one of the Sage guys using an MP skin. What's the big deal? Do any of you guys own the copyrights to any of the artwork in question? Didn't think so.

As for the skin that was used, here is what the Sage user that 'stole :roll:' your skin had to say regarding the audacity of leaving in the MP logo:

The MP logo is there for many reasons. 1. It looks cool. 2. I in no way claim to have made the images and that makes it obvious. 3. The MediaPortal project, developers, and contributers deserve all the PR they can get for all the hard work that goes into it.

I really don't think any harm was done or intended.

Lighten up guys (especially Khris), it's just TV.

-PGPfan

 

[Khris]

What I don't understand (and hope someone will enlighten me) is this thread. MP has used the Microsoft MCE 'skin' for the basis of a large number of skins from what I've seen. It's no different than one of the Sage guys using an MP skin. What's the big deal? Do any of you guys own the copyrights to any of the artwork in question? Didn't think so.

Did you notice that no where in the skin is the MS logo? A logo is essentially the single most valuable asset to a company or product and creates brand recognition. How do you think Sage would react if their logo started showing up in other products (such as MediaPortal).....I don't think they would like it too much. Seeing the same logo on multiple products just confuses consumers and can be potentially damaging to the original product (no this isn't a slam at Sage, I'm just making a point).

MP is still under heavy development while Sage has had various commercial releases and can be considered a "stable release". Let's say I have MP installed and am constantly testing the nightly CVS builds (which do include bugs). How much damage would be done to Sage if I had their logo running on MP and my friends saw the program crashing. They would automatically associate those crashes with Sage because of the logo. This is exactly the reason why company and product logo's are so incredibly important.

 

[jawbroken]

What I don't understand (and hope someone will enlighten me) is this thread. MP has used the Microsoft MCE 'skin' for the basis of a large number of skins from what I've seen. It's no different than one of the Sage guys using an MP skin. What's the big deal? Do any of you guys own the copyrights to any of the artwork in question?

Umm, getting inspiration for colours/layout of a skin from MCE and making similar images yourself is, to me, very different to just grabbing all the images from the MediaPortal skin folder and throwing them in another program. As far as I can tell the MediaPortal skin was just INSPIRED by the Microsoft graphics, none of them were just blatantly copy and pasted across as has clearly happened in this case.

If you asked the author of the original MediaPortal skin for the use of their graphics then this is fine. If you didn't and just threw up that lame disclaimer saying that if they don't like it then you will "yank it" then I think that is a little lame. I mean, how hard is it to ask nicely for permission before stealing someone's work?

EDIT: Oh yeah, and about the copyright question. In most countries copyright is automatic for any artwork, no formal copyright application has to be filed to protect the works, they are assumed copyrighted unless explicitly stated otherwise.

For example, in American copyright law:
"Copyright Protection Is Automatic

Under the present copyright law, which became effective Jan. 1, 1978, a work is automatically protected by copyright when it is created. A work is created when it is “fixed†in a copy or phonorecord for the first time. Neither registration in the Copyright Office nor publication is required for copyright protection under the present law."

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ40.html#copyright

 

[guytpetj]

Why all that fuzz.

Look at the bright side. With all the references to MediaPortal and the MP logo on the Sage web site, MediaPortal is getting a lot of free advertising out of this.

Without a doubt some of the Sage fans will make the swap to MediaPortal after they browsed through our pages and program to satisfy their curiosity. So MediaPortal can only be the lucky winner of this.

I’ve used MCE and Sage in the past, but now, since the last 18months, I will only advice MediaPortal to anybody who wants to build a HTPC.

And that was my 2 cents.

 

[Khris]

Ultimately MP will win out over Sage.......I just hate to see such an inferior product sporting the MP logo because some yutz copied all the graphics! LOL