This evening a friend shared a video posted on Streetdirectory.com Singapore Facebook page. It's the video of the flying wanton mee man in Johor Bahru.
The video garnered 488,000+ views, 6,796 Shares, 1,700+ Likes, and 213 Comments.
I watched the video and soon realised that it was my video - taken without my knowledge from Johor Kaki YouTube channel.
This is the original video from my Johor Kaki YouTube channel.
I double checked the Streetdirectory.com Singapore Facebook page carefully and confirmed that it was stolen from my channel. Streetdirectory.com uploaded the video on their Facebook page without my knowledge, without my permission and no credit was given to the source of the video in any way, whatsoever. It was posted as if it was original Streetdirectory.com content even though Johor Kaki was the original content creator.
I lodged an Intellectual Property Notification Complaint with Facebook - the process is quite simple and straightforward. If you have the evidence ready i.e. the URL of the stolen content and your original URL - the online form just takes less than 3 minutes to fill.
Kudos to Facebook. They replied and informed me that they have removed the stolen video from Streetdirectory.com Singapore Facebook page within 15 minutes of submission of my complaint.
👉If you are a content creator, you may also wish to check through the Streetdirectory.com Singapore Facebook page to confirm that they have not stolen your work. If you found your content stolen by Streetdirectory.com, lodge a complaint with Facebook. This would help discourage Streetdirectory.com Singapore from stealing more content and encourage a more ethical social media culture.
Respect Intellectual Property: You Only Need to Ask
For example, National Geographic Traveler has a formal process to request for permission to use other's intellectual property.
I frequently receive requests via messages to use my photos and videos. Those who have ever requested permission to use my photos and videos know that I give it generously and promptly. I have given away a lot of my photos this way.
Wish you Happy Blogging 😃
Date: 26 Sept 2016
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Good work Tony and thanks for for the tips on how to complain to Facebook. But I'm still interested to know if there was any reaction from Streetdirectory.
ReplyDeleteThank you Oldstock. I will update this post if there is any feedback from Streetdirectory.com Singapore.
DeleteWhat a shame that they stole your work. Your hawker food rocks!
ReplyDeleteHow horrible! Glad you found out and it was removed swiftly!
ReplyDeleteBrother, if you wish you can acquire that company, let me know.
ReplyDeletethank you bro. do you mean "enquire"?
DeleteNo. I meant 'acquire', or 'buy over'. I thought you are so p* off with them?
Deletethey are a big corporation. i am just an individual. i best hope is they leave my work alone after this.
DeleteLife is short, what harm did it to your johorkaki blog
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous, as a original content creator, I spent many hours and much energy to produce the video - travelling time, locating the stall, finding out more about the hawker, the food, tasting it etc. I also pay for the food, not to mention my equipment and IT services. So, it is natural for me to I feel a little hurt when others take my hard work and use it as their own Especially, so when it is a large corporation with a profit motive.
DeleteCopying only takes a minute and costs nothing. If you look at the Streetdirectory.com post using my video, you will realise that it did not even mention where is this flying wanton mee hawker or provide any information about him. Streetdirectory.com did not help the hawker at all. It only tells the reader to download the Streetdirectory.com mobile App.
From a wider perspective, websites like Streetdirectory.com that uses other people's content are increasing in numbers. I feel that copycat sites with profit motives discourage original creators from creating more and better content. There is really not much small, individual bloggers like myself can do about this trend. I believe this trend hurts everyone who uses the internet as less people will be willing to put in time, energy and money to produce original content. At my individual, small time level, I can only do what little I can towards a more ethical social media culture.
Thank you for bearing with my long response.
Now, I am back to food blogging :-D
And bro, does it really hurt/harm your blog... shows that you are really a petty person.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous, thank you for your comment. I apologise if my response to Streetdirectory.com makes you feel uncomfortable. Those who know me personally know that I am a mild mannered, easy going person. In this case, I am just a individual person standing up for my rights when a large corporation blatantly trample on my Intellectual Property rights. Hope you will be able to see it from my point of view. Thanks again.
DeleteDear Anonymous... shows u dont understand what intellectual property rights or plagiarism mean?
DeleteFor those saying Tony being petty, let me see you don't cry father or mother when people drive away your car without telling you and see how you feel.
DeletePetty? Not if such things happens to you.
It is not a matter if hurting. It is a matter of principle. If you have created something with your own hands, only have someone copy what you have created and then showing others as your own at the same time taking credit for it, how do you feel? Don't give your opinions without thinking and without empathy.
DeleteAnd Tony, touch your heart, did you use others video when you started out. Now you are famous, be magnanimous. The way you wrote doesn't reflect you as a mature person.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous, I have never ever use another person's video or any other person's content illegally before. Those who have ever asked me to use my content such as photos etc knows that I give permission generously and promptly.
DeleteAnonymous, what kind of cock logic is that? Someone stole from you and feel as long as there is no harm or hurt, it's ok?
DeleteFYI, Streetdirectory.com has been suing people who use their maps for Millions of $$$. So it is ok for them to sue others for $$$???
Chua Gary, Streetdirectory.com is not a government related company. They were sue by Singapore Land Authority.
The SLA, which originally issued Virtual Map (Streetdirectory.com) a licence for its maps of Singapore, sued the company in January 2007 for continuing to use the SLA maps even after the licence had expired.
Virtual Map lost it case in the District Court, and was ordered to stop using the infringing materials. It appealed to the High Court, but lost again.
Gosh. Let those who throws the first stone be free of sin. That doesn't mean we can't fight for what is right can't we?
DeleteIf because I have done something wrong in the past that preclude me from getting justice then what for we have a justice system?
Sometimes when one tries to discredit a person, perhaps do so from an open position instead of hiding behind an anonymous post.
Wow Tony, your stuff keeps getting stolen. I strongly believe in intellectual property rights. I mean, its one thing to use it, but at least credit the person you took it from. Unless you agree to it or gave a disclaimer what they're doing is so wrong. I feel so sorry for you. Streetdirectory shouldn't get away with this.
ReplyDeleteThanks bro. The understanding of friends gives me comfort.
Deleteoh my thats bad. i love your blog and it comes with loads of info. Gambate
ReplyDeletenot a nice feeling but I take it in my stride. i am back to focussing on putting every good hawker on the world wide web :-D
Deletethey had some collaborations with Singapore government but they are not a GLC. a big corporation.
ReplyDeleteTony! :) Gosh I am so sorry that this had to happen but its good that you are taking a stand on it. You work hard on your pictures and content and it is really unethical and unprofessional of them to take it from you and claim its theirs. Full support on my end :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Shiv for your support. Appreciate much :-D
DeleteStealing without any credit and claiming it as your own stuff is just so wrong... huhuhu... I feel you... and thank goodness you got to know of it and take a stand on it..
ReplyDeleteThank you Miera for your support.
DeleteOmg. Never thought that video can be stolen as I found it is unable to download or save the video from Facebook or YouTube. 😱
ReplyDeleteya lor, i also don't know how to upload my own vid to FB 😂
DeleteI can feel you. Shame on them to steal other hardwork and make it theirs.
ReplyDeleteIT person can 'take' the video easily. Thank you for sharing this. At least we know a way to prevent this kind of unhappiness. hahaha
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteWow, I didn't know we could do that. Someone close to me once got her content stolen but it was from a website and we didn't do anything cause we didn't know what actions we could have taken.
ReplyDeleteHope my sharing is of help to you and your friends.
DeleteWow! That's low class to know and I'm from Singapore! It's not moral as well. Sometimes we really take alot of effort in making and uploading our own video. Kudos to you for standing up for your own content.
ReplyDeleteThank you Olivia for your support. Appreciate it.
Deleteso far i haven't come to this situation, but thanks for your sharing and let us know what could have done! =)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Wish you the best.
Deleteglad that it's solved. people should have decency to at least ask for permission!
ReplyDeleteTony, you have my full support, what you did was absolutely right. Ignore those ignorant posts that said otherwise.
ReplyDeleteJoe
Thank you Joe for your support and understanding.
DeleteI do realise that my tone is a little strong. I could have amended the post to tone it down but decided to leave it as it is as that was how I felt when I discovered what had happened. Everything was done within 2 hours of discovering the IP infringement.
I think you should start watermarking your videos or whatever the process is called. Or perhaps you could also write to them to have credit included. But reporting is the easiest way to stop them from stealing again.
ReplyDeleteWatermarking my videos is a good idea. I shall learn how to do that. Thanks for the tip.
Deleteyou really should do the watermark at your video, therefore even people stole your video, then others also will know that the origin of the video is u...hehe..stay calm..
ReplyDeleteYes, I am going to learn how to do that. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteReally irritated if someone stole our picture or video without permission. Usually I will credit back to my blogger friends that share the picture to me and even I credit back to my own hubby that help me taking pictures in event.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Betty :-D
DeleteOh my god, they so bad to use your video without acknowledge you.
ReplyDeleteAt least give you the credit.
Oh! This is too much. Why reputed websites should "steal" the content? bad...
ReplyDeleteEven blog post also can copy and paste straight away! I can imagine they can simply take credits on everything!
ReplyDeleteIronically, streetdirectory.com was infamous about 10 years ago for speculative billing. They would find websites that used their maps, take screenshots and then send a threat of legal action for copyright infringement If their invoice for thousands of dollars wasn't paid.
ReplyDeleteI was caught by surprise completely. Felt quite sad about this.
Deletewhat you want from from Streetdirectory.com is MONEY! you are an a... hole! tony
ReplyDeleteDont feed the troll guys, dont feed the troll.
DeleteNAT GEO PAY YOU SO THEY ARE GOOD. STREETDIRECTORY DIDN'T PAY YOU SO YOU BULLY THEM. TONY IS ONE BIG AR..HOLE!!
ReplyDeleteyah man!!!!! how dare tony ask for payment from the ppl who stole from him!!! the nerve of that guy! lol
DeleteWow mr or ms anonymous. You are one bitter person. Instead of calling people arsehole, why not you go read up on IP law? There are books in the library. Don't need to thank me.
DeleteSearch me! I can't understand those insensitive individuals condoning the stealing of your intellectual properties. Tony, we understand the good-natured you. We continue to support you.(Pn Chong)
ReplyDeleteTo all the Anonymous posting sh*t about Tony, you are cowards and probably linked to or paid by Streetdirectory.com. Creating IP is time & resource consuming. It is very clear that Streetdirectory intends to profit from its posts and this is clearly stealing other people's work and claiming it as their own. So what if (and it's a big IF) Tony decides to charge? If you think it's fair to steal other people's IP, profit from it and then expect not to pay for the IP, then I think it's fair for you to come wash my office toilet for FREE too.
ReplyDeleteMany are actually still unaware of copyright and IP issues, and assume that everything available on public domain is free. This is particularly so amongst home users, which is understandable and mostly excusable.
ReplyDeleteBut the same cannot be said for businesses, particularly one that has an online presence. As a business, they ought to know the implications of using something downloaded from the public domain without explicit consent of the owner. I would go on to say, as a business (a commercial one that has revenue, not a non-profit org) don't be a cheapskate and use downloaded works without permission, casting aside respect for the owner just to save a few dollars. This is blatant infringement.
Oh wait! Is this Anonymous that's post shit about Tony affiliated or from streetdirectxxx.com? I wonder....
ReplyDelete(Xue)
Maybe we should all visit annonymous at his house... and take his furniture, tv, money, etc when we leave. I'm sure he'll welcome that since he's such a big hearted and generous person.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous, i believe original content creators should be fairly compensated for their work. In the case of Nat Geo`s offer of USD200 to use one of my photos, i gave them permission but did not accept the USD200. It's just my way of giving back a small token of appreciation to Nat Geo for all the great work they do. Thank you.
ReplyDelete🤔 when a person lacks integrity n desperate enough to steal dont waste energy. Stay Calm n let karma do d work.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the Anonymous from before... It is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, although that's cold comfort to someone who put in the hard graft to create something good in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDear Tony, please do not despair, keep up the good work and continue naming and shaming the plagarists and copy and paste experts in our midst.
Nice blog..Tony. IP should be enforce. However when comes to crediting .. Shouldn't you also credit your source of food hunt.. I am pretty sure not all your finds are from your daily journeys... Maybe some information are from other blogs? Or forum? It will be good to give credit to the person who recommend or you find info from.. Don't u think so?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes I always make it a point to credit the person who tip me off about an eatery. The person will be mentioned in the blog post, usually within the first paragraph. If I overlooked it in any blog post, please help let me know and I will add the mention immediately. Appreciate much.
DeleteHi Tony,
Deletetook you a while (2 years to exact) before you started mentioning the 3 Facebook johor group recently. Thumbs up, meanwhile, live and let live..
As mentioned, the sources are clearly credited from day one back from 2012 when I started my blog. I go to the recommended place personally to eat the food, pay for it, take my own photos and videos, and write my own story about my personal experience. And, thank the person who recommended the place to me. (Never just copy and paste the work of others.) My recent post you are referring to further highlights these groups.
Delete