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PostTimeskipSam

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Combating TheftTube from stealing content

Posted by PostTimeskipSam - April 13th, 2008


++Newgrounds Watermarks++

So your worried that your animations might be posted on some other site uncredited. Maybe you want viewers on Youtube and other sites to realize that your animations don't belong on Youtube, but that it belongs on Newgrounds. The Newgrounds Watermarks will help prevent these problems.

Several NG Users are also upset about content from Newgrounds being taken and placed on Youtube uncredited. The Artist who brought the most attention to this issue was Egoraptor.

So I put together Newgrounds Watermarks to help prevent this problem. Now I know this isn't going to fully prevent "Rippers" from stealing the animations, but it will hopefully make people realize that "Hey, I love this person's work maybe I should go visit Newgrounds to see more". Or something on those lines because I am pretty sick and tried of seeing people stealing animations then posting it on Youtube without crediting anyone.

Is it efficient?
The NG Watermarks are transparent, but visible and you'll be able to see and enjoy the animations without being distracted by them.

Examples:
Watermark 1

Watermark 2

Watermark 3

My Watermarks have been used in several animations of my own and others.

Did you kill that

Freedom Freeway
Oooo A Tankie

You can even Tint these NG Watermarks and it will still be in good quality.

Example

The NG Watermarks credits go to Newgrounds of course because I used the NG graphics. I am going to admit these aren't hard to create. I've seen some artists use watermarks in their animations.

Most recent animation I recall having a watermark was Another Day 8

I have placed a tutorial in the .fla files on how to use them and what happens if I am using a black background.

Download the Watermarks:

Flash CS3

Flash 8

Come guys help support. Newgrounds content shouldn't be on Youtube!
Metal Gear Awesome is Not on Youtube

Questions and Answers

Q: Why did you post this on the forums if you posted it in a New posts.
A: Well some NG users really don't look in the Flash Forums

Q: I still think the best method is to make a blacklist of URLs and make a code.
A: Hey, If that is best for you be my guest.
AS: Copy Protection
AS: Specific Anti-Theft Protection

Q: How do you suppose you'll stop people from decompiling and just taking it out?
A: Right now most of the rippers are lazy or don't know how to do that, but I'll try to figure out something.

Q: What keeps people from uploading it with the watermark in there?
A: Nothing really, but what it will do is make people realize that "Hey, I love this person's work maybe I should go visit Newgrounds to see more". The Watermarks are there tell Youtube users that this movie belongs on Newgrounds and gives them the hint that if you wanna see more. Visit Newgrounds.

Q: What happens if you use it in a Black Background
A: It is explained in the .fla file and you can just tint the symbol."

Q: Anyone knows how to watermark"
A: Yeah, of course although this would help keep watermarks consistent and the graphic symbols in my watermarks aren't alpha through the symbol, but rather the color itself so you can still use tint, brightness, and all those other Color options.

Q: Rippers use video capturing cameras that let you choose what part of your screen you want to record.
A: Not many people want to see partly cutoff animations.

Q: I say put your contact info, website as well as a link to Newgrounds at the beginning and at the end of the animation.
A: Rippers would just take those parts out!

Q: I hate the way the watermark is position and where it is located
A: You can change the position of the watermark and location.

Combating TheftTube from stealing content


Comments

it wont work, rippers use video capturing cameras (hypercams and such) that let you choose what part of your screen you want to record, they simply record where the watermark doesnt show (unless you use a big as watermark and that woukd be a pain in the ass of the viewers)..

also you're saying this as if we were 4 year old retards, anyone who know how to use flash knows how to watermark (just lower the alpha of a graphic) and the "what happens if you use it in a black background" is even more retarded...

LOL i am SO bitchy, i actually apreciate what you're doing, i just felt like looking at the bad side of it :) sorry mister.

"What happens if you use it in a Black Background is explained in the .fla file and you can just tint the symbol."

"Anyone knows how to watermark" Yeah, of course although this would help keep watermarks consistent and the graphic symbols in my watermarks aren't alpha through the symbol, but rather the color itself so you can still use tint, brightness, and all those other Color options.

"Rippers use video capturing cameras that let you choose what part of your screen you want to record" Not many people want to see partly cutoff animations.

Lol I don't care if your on the bad side, I just need the criticism to help improve this and it is just another method!

HAH ok you posted on my userpage at the sme time i did on yours, and they were pretty different posts :) you can delete my comment since its so bitchy im sorry :C also delete this one :)

I say put your contact info, website as well as a link to newgrounds at the beginning and at the end of the animation. I would never make my work lose quality
simply to prevent theft as long as make sure people know that it does not belong on youtube and the person who uploaded it is not the creator, then i see no reason for a watermark.

Rippers would just take those scenes out! How does it lose quality if your the type who wants your stuff to go viral without authorship then you don't need this. Like I said it just another way of getting people to realized that it was originally on Newgrounds and you should go check it out!

I try to put my name in as many parts of the movie as possible (mostly on the menus and credits of course), but I don't think I'd want to put on a watermark. I've put mochibot on my movies before, so if anybody takes the actual fla, I'll know. Otherwise I don't think anybody would want to take anything of mine and put it on youtube.

It still is a problem for other people, though, and the best thing to do is to contact Youtube and tell them the problem.

-Matt

Yeah, so your taking the Actionscript approach, although Mochibot which really isn't preventing your work from being stolen, but just lets you see where the thieves are taking your animation, but then again like Lalo said the rippers could be using a video capturing cameras which would make actionscript method useless, but of course all rippers will find a way over anti-theft.

"I try to put my name in as many parts of the movie as possible" Yeah, which is an issue I am trying to push and these watermarks hopefully will further push that issue.

I actually don't mind if my videos are distributed on Youtube, more people end up seeing them that way, and it's good publicity. Even if they don't credit me, someone ends up posting in the comments " hey I saw this on NG " so it's all good right?

Nice, I was waiting for someone to do something about this. Maybe Tom will put up your watermarks with the preloaders. :)

I really don't like the idea of watermarks on newgrounds but I think it's something that has to be done. So I like Number 3.

This isn't enforced and hopefully won't be enforced. It is just another method.

This is actually a good idea. Now I've never had any problems with youtube because my submissions are crappy....but anyways! I see how people like egoraptor can have problems and that can be a pain in the ass to work so hard and then have someone just steal your work and get credit for it. So good job, and hope you continue fighting the good fight.

Dude.. Sorry to say but this is the internet and sadly, anything goes.
There is NOTHING you can do to stop people from taking your creation and sharing it. Just ask the music and movie industry.

Matter of fact you should be happy that there is someone who likes your stuff so much they put the effort in to rip it.
Oh yea, watermarks suck. They're just distracting and shouldn't be used. Whats wrong with old fashioned credits?

Your right, it will get taken an uncredited posting it somewhere else because it is the internet and yeah I would be happy if one of my animations turned viral and went everywhere, but Charlie the Unicorn for example everyone thought it was something created on Youtube, but most people didn't know that it came from Newgrounds. I am just trying to direct people to go to Newgrounds. They go and watch an animation on Youtube for example and see that watermark and they might go. "Hey, you know I like this person's work maybe I should visit Newgrounds to check out more."

Credits could be easier taken out.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SLufmv k8bSQ

Thats awesome. I don't want Youtube and other sites stealing my numerous #1 flashes of all time. Don't forget my 99 infinity trophies. This will please me.

See if you can find a way to make a 'smart' watermark that checks whether the .fla file is being played from a location other then newgrounds, then put a MASSIVE logo right in the middle of the screen (alittle see through of course, but not too much ;)

im sure there has to be a way to do this, "wheres theres code and a determined programmer, theres a way"

oh forgot about motion capture :(

No problem, but that is possible instead of making the clip not play at all it would just have a NG watermark or something, but then motion capturing the flash would complele bypass the actionscript protection.

Pretty nice Idea there

But some users COULD get a little annoyed with a water mark distracting them. So... I guess that you could put a water mark in the first 30 second of the movie or something.

Well anyways, This is bound to help in the fight against NG stuff on youtube.

It's a good idea but most rippers know how to bypass this sort of thing. It's sad that people think that most popular animations began on YouTube. I have a friend who never knew about Newgrounds and only went on YouTube, he now knows that whenever he mentions a video or game from anywhere on the internet I will say "That started on Newgrounds you know."!
I agree with the actionscript idea for the watermarks. Most rippers won't think of this and when they post it on YouTube a huge picture of the tank will appear saying that it is stolen or something. Get Tom onto this idea, he could put the watermarks up for download.