Thanks everyone so much for the wisdom shared here. I just filed a DMCA Youtube complain hoping that they honor my request. Here is what I wrote; ********************************************* Dear Youtube, I am the creator of the following 3 videos (shot and edited). It took me at least 3-4 10-hour working days to create each video without pay from the user (StadjDjModels). I no longer permit this user to use my videos due to the loss of relationship between us. She refused my kind request to remove them, that is why I have no choice but to contact you. Should you need further proof of ownership of these videos I would gladly provide them. Thanks so much. Sincerely, Renat Zarbailov *********************************************
Yes it is a sad situation and at this point all I want is to remove these videos off the web, I don't care much for them paying for my work done for them. I wonder if small claims court allows initiation of a claim that doesn't seek monetary reimbursement. As far as whining about this experience on blogs to create bad rep for them; It is an option, but I think it only creates more PR for them in the end. And what are the chances that the future videographers they're about to hire will see those blogs? They might, if they ever gotten screwed before, but I think this company looks for emerging talent to be able to have a "free ride" by offering them either "exposure" or "money" in the near future. I must mention that they did offer $300 for the Halloween gig, and later in addition to that wanted 3 more videos delivered in a week timing. That's what promted me to start this dialog that turned ugly. Lesson learned. Next time, no free rides, and heavy research about who I am about to deal with. At the end of the day it all comes down to trust. Thanks again everyone!!! --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "Renat Zarbailov" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello everyone! > > Over the past three months I completed three 2-minute videos for a > startup DJ company, who never paid a penny for my work, promising me > that when they will start getting paid for their gigs in night clubs > then they will pay me for each completed video. > > Within these three months I shot 8 events for them, each one requiring > at least 4 hours of shooting. > > They started pressuring me lately to deliver four more completed > videos within a week or so. Since they never paid for any of my work I > told them if they wanted speed they would have to pay $600 per > completed video with a week turnaround from the shoot day. This > escalated into a dispute and now I no longer want to deal with them. > > I asked them kindly to remove these three videos I created from their > web site, myspace, youtube, and vimeo. They are refusing to do so > claiming that these videos belong to them. I offered to let them keep > them online if they would pay $300 per each video so we part our ways > peacefully. And now we are having a dispute over who owns these videos. > > All of the agreements we made among us were verbal and never in writing. > > On Monday I want to file a lawsuit in small claims court to have these > videos pulled of the web or for them to pay up. Has anyone in our > vlogging community ever dealt with a similar situation? If I were to > contact Youtube/Vimeo for video removal request, what do they ask for > to proof video ownership? > > Should I also file for reimbursement for the time I spent shooting > these 8 events? Basically it comes to 32 hours of very hard work > running around in the clubs shooting small clips. I offered them these > source video files at $100 per each event, so they could use them by > hiring another editor, they refused. So I will gladly have to purge > them all. After the court, of course. > > Also, there's no copyright mention in the end credits of all three > videos, the last two list my name as camera/editing. They're claiming > that their glamorous company provided exposure for my video skills. I > never wanted exposure by shooting and editing their videos. I even did > not put my name in the end credits of the first video, which proofs > that. They approached me for help, not the other way around. > > Here are these three videos: > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8x5B-h08Hs > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGRiB35h7Pw > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcIbVFu6_PE > > This DJ company never invested into any of the video production > (props, special video preparation or anything). They just had a stable > (yes, stable, :) that's what it says in their recent press release) of > girls DJ for them, without paying them either by the way. > > I have seen many of their graphic designers and photographers come and > go, which slowly started making sense to me that they just want to > parasite off other people's energy and skills. > > I would truly appreciate any input you may have regarding this > situation or content ownership before I head out to court to fight for > my rights. > > Thanks everyone! > > Renat Zarbailov of Innomind.org >
