I apologise if this is the wrong place to post this, but I was wondering if it was customary for ThinkingWithPortals maps to end up on this website:

http://www.fileplanet.com/224146/220000 ... p-Map-v1.3

It's mentioned my name, but I notice the description is different. It hasn't simply linked back here, but seems to have rehosted it instead. Is this even allowed? I apologise if we have already been told about this, but if so I must have missed it.

Thanks.

Ashley

Well, we don't share our uploads with other sites (except for msleeper's backup).
If you want your map removed from that website the only thing you can do is sent a DCMA takedown notice, that will force them to remove your content from their website.

Here's an example:

Quote:
VIA Email at <>

Re: Copyright Claim

To the ISP Hosting Company:

I am the copyright owner of the maps being infringed at:

<>

Copies of the photographs being infringed are included to assist with their removal from the infringing Web sites.

This letter is official notification under the provisions of Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") to effect removal of the above-reported infringements. I request that you immediately issue a cancellation message as specified in RFC 1036 for the specified postings and prevent the infringer, who is identified by its Web address, from posting the infringing photographs to your servers in the future. Please be advised that law requires you, as a service provider, to "expeditiously remove or disable access to" the infringing photographs upon receiving this notice. Noncompliance may result in a loss of immunity for liability under the DMCA.

I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of here is not authorized by me, the copyright holder, or the law. The information provided here is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I swear under penalty of perjury that I am the copyright holder.

Please send me at the address noted below a prompt response indicating the actions you have taken to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

/s/ <>
Email: <>

I had to send them the email directly from my googlemail account, since their contact page wouldn't work for some reason ("service unavailable"). Does this matter?

I'd understand if it was like WIP and you didn't want anyone to see it, but besides that, anyone cross-posting your map just gets you more exposure...

Kaleido wrote:
No offense but... what does it matter if your map gets posted elsewhere? Especially if you got credited, and you made it for free...

I'd understand if it was like WIP and you didn't want anyone to see it, but besides that, anyone cross-posting your map just gets you more exposure...

Yes, that's right, but if your maps get somewhere where you don't know it is you can't update it, you won't get feedback on it and you don't see the downloads. Long story short: you can't really enjoy it's success. If the website linked to twp it would've been better, since you will see the downloads, possibly get more ratings and feedback

Just my two cents

Kaleido wrote:
I guess that's true... it doesn't really matter though. That's all going to be obsolete after May 8th haha

Don't know about anyone else but I'm gonna keep uploading my maps here as well as the workshop.

Kaleido wrote:
I guess that's true... it doesn't really matter though. That's all going to be obsolete after May 8th haha

Steam workshop also show downloads, ratings and feedback, so nothing wrong with that

lpfreaky90 wrote:
Kaleido wrote:

No offense but... what does it matter if your map gets posted elsewhere? Especially if you got credited, and you made it for free...

I'd understand if it was like WIP and you didn't want anyone to see it, but besides that, anyone cross-posting your map just gets you more exposure...

Yes, that's right, but if your maps get somewhere where you don't know it is you can't update it, you won't get feedback on it and you don't see the downloads. Long story short: you can't really enjoy it's success. If the website linked to twp it would've been better, since you will see the downloads, possibly get more ratings and feedback

Just my two cents

Exactly what I was thinking. It's hardly the end of the world, but I just thought it to be counter-intuitive to actually rehost it rather than link back. The latter would have been fine.

They haven't gotten back to me yet though. Ah well.

As I said, it's not so much that my map is being re-hosted, but the principle behind it. Does anyone else know how to contact fileplanet/IGN, because their abysmal "service" is beginning to piss me off. No-one I've searched on Google knows how, and I've searched a lot.

Quote:
Email us for general enquiries:

[email protected]

you could try it there I suppose

lpfreaky90 wrote:
I've only found a general e-mail adres,
Quote:

Email us for general enquiries:

[email protected]

you could try it there I suppose

That's the one which isn't working, whether I email them using their site ("server rejected") or from my own gmail ("email invalid"). That can't be right. A site like IGN must have a way to contact them.

EDIT: BTW, the other reason I was concerned about this is because mine is not the only map to be re-hosted. There are others I've seen too, and not just Portal maps either. I dare say they didn't bother asking permission there either. So I thought others should know. It's funny because their site is the only one I haven't been able to contact. It's suspicious, to say the least.

lpfreaky90 wrote:
I've googled a bit more: http://corp.ign.com/contact/

Thanks a bunch. Not sure if it'll have the intended effect, but only time will tell.

CaretCaret wrote:
My map is there too!

I knew they were re-hosting en masse. Christ. This can't be good at all.

I did something no one ever does:
read the terms and conditions of IGN:

http://corp.ign.com/user-agreement.html

Quote:
IGN's Designated Agent for Notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement can be reached as follows:

By mail:
Designated Agent
Attention Legal Department
625 2nd Street,3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107

By Phone:
415.869.3700

By Facsimile:
415.896.3758

By email:
[email protected]

doubledispatch wrote:
Thanks for the response, and I can't believe a site powered by IGN would be so childish as to not simply ask permission or post an actual link (or maybe I'm just overestimating humanity's intellect).

I'm think that someone (possibly a IGN user) has copy maps and posted them. Not the site itself. Although I will admit that the staff in charge of the website should be a little more inquisitive about maps being uploaded to that site.

lpfreaky90 wrote:
I did something no one ever does:
read the terms and conditions of IGN:
http://corp.ign.com/user-agreement.html

Thanks again. I've sent a new email to that address (the last one wasn't responded to). Oddly enough, I couldn't do it directly with that one either, but it's sent just fine from my gmail page. So fingers crossed.

MasterLagger wrote:
I'm think that someone (possibly a IGN user) has copy maps and posted them. Not the site itself. Although I will admit that the staff in charge of the website should be a little more inquisitive about maps being uploaded to that site.

And with the amount that's being uploaded, I would maintain that it could really do with quick-response report system. Ah well.

MasterLagger wrote:
I took a look at the map at the planetfile site and was relieved that I didn't see any of my maps up there. However, the names of the other maps were pretty familiar looking.

My maps have no appearance, but I wouldn't have cared all the same.Lagger, no offence, but who would want to re-upload your maps.