Arrgh!! Pirates..
It’s probably not the last time a Sims 2 machinimator is going to find their movie uploaded to YouTube or the like, without their permission, but maybe the fate of YouTube villain FattyBatty will deter a few more people from trying. The Sims community triumphed after FattyBatty uploaded some popular directors’ Sims 2 movies, claiming them as her own and YouTube has since removed them. Reading the hilarious and maybe a tad scary comments left on Fatty’s YouTube profile by the disgruntled community is entertainment in itself…you would normally expect to see such vitriol and harsh language reserved for perhaps a more serious “crime”?
I’ll admit, I’d be very pissed off if someone else was passing off our films as their work, however, I usually get a kick out of seeing where some of our films end up on the net, it’s kind of flattering. The various blogs and forums most often don’t give credit, but I can’t complain as almost all of our films are shared on YouTube, free for the taking.
I am the only one though, to see the irony of what FattyBatty did labelled as piracy, when some of the movies she uploaded used popular copywritten music without permission?! I guess that’s another can of worms, that doesn’t need opening though 
Popularity: 5% [?]
Posted in Machinima
September 9th, 2006 at 3:25 am
Regarding your last comment… no, you’re not the only one, I was chuckling about the same thing. I guess the key difference was assignment of credit where it was due (Fatty was going along with it when viewers complimented her on “her” films); most users of copyrighted music at least don’t attempt that.
I’m not sure I agree with the use of the word “triumph” to describe the response from Sims2 folks, for the very reasons you get into in your post. Some of the comments were shameful, IMO… fantasizing about doing physical harm to the person?? I’m with you: it’s a little much for the offense in question. Besides which, I’m pretty sure that comments of that nature are as big a violation of YouTube’s TOS as Batty’s theft was.
September 9th, 2006 at 9:35 am
Thanks for the comment, Phil, “triumph” was intended in the sarcastic sense, unfortunately it doesn’t translate well into text, as is typical with my British sense of humour
September 20th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
[…] Now let’s not pull a FattyBatty here. If you are going to comment over there, be kind; he meant no harm. If anything, the gaff at the beginning of his post is another illustration of how much of our work still remains in getting the word out as to what machinima is; not just at animation/film festivals, either. A deliberate, focused PR strategy is needed. So write your congressman about it! […]
October 14th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Doesn’t anyone know who was glorious enough to PM everyone who got there movies stolen? It was I! I need a award or something I’m totally like the best Fattybatty (who is a girl by the way)
SUCKS eggs *throws eggs at fattybatty window*