---Edit----
When I say copy, I don't mean inspired and influenced. I mean literally copying everything about a vid and taking credit for it.
People do get inspired from others and try to make vids similar, yes but there are boundaries to how much a person should imitate a vid.

------------


In my opinion, it's just as good as stealing.

Many many many good vidders make things that they came up with. It's their original idea, but then people copy it. And I don't mean copy as in doing the same thing for 5 seconds. I mean the ENTIRE vid.

Your vids are supposed to be YOUR creations. Sure you can get ideas and techniques from people, but copying vids second by second isn't right at all.


Recently I found out that one of my irl friends made a vid that was almost a COMPLETE copy of my vid. The only difference was that she used a different fandom.
I'm friends with her and I don't want to be mean about it but this is a little too much.



People need to learn to make their OWN vids and come up with their OWN ideas. You can be inspired and try to imitate a style, but when the entire thing is a clone then it's another story.

Ugh. Wow that sucks, but my videos are not well known enough to be stolen anyhow.

I agree with you 100% though, using a video as a reference when you don't know what to do for a certain lyric is ok but an entire video? No.

Hmm....I think it depends on how much it was copied and it also depends on how much original it was.

If it's like a really common story/effect/concept that anyone could've thought of, then I wouldn't even doubt it.

Because there are like lots of ediors in the community, surely two people are bound to have same idea with same song coincidentally. And if they weren't intending it, then only thing we can blame is inspiration.

And the mysterious thing about inspiration is that they can get it from other video too. And some people even start their editing by trying to copy what other editors did. Of course, I'm not saying to copy other editors' concepts/story entirely, and if they did, I think it's right to cite that "I got inspiration from XXX's video" I'm saying, some people get hints of ideas from other videos and make their own. If their originality is added into that hint of inspiration, it'd be perfect, except some people just copy off the entire thing without adding their own originality.

Who knows? Maybe they didn't mean to do it, maybe some people just started out thus they don't really see or know what they're doing. Maybe they don't think what they did is wrong because they don't know anything, and at that time we can all tell them what they did and why this is bad.

We're all learning here, right?

Whilst I would be a annoyed if a video of mine was directly copied clip for clip, or the same story - I'd have to say it is the biggest form of flattery. Obviously this person thinks my video is very good in order to do the same. Same with theft.

If a video had been directly ripped off of my channel however, it would be a different story. I'd try to get it taken down but I know I don't have a leg to stand on since I don't own the copyright. That's why we watermark our work.

However, there can be many similarities within a video of the same fandom or song and I think people can be too quick to jump ahead of themselves, get worked up and feel cheated when really it may just be a coincidence.

Its always better to think about it first once your emotions have calmed down and then double check to make sure you're 100% sure. If you are still sure, then you can talk to the editor privately to see if anything can be resolved or simply ignore it and maybe even make a vent video about it (without directly accusing anyone). After all, something good can come out of something bad.

I know that I am inspired with lot of good editors on here and think, "That is brilliant, I'd love to do something like that!" and as I have before with one of Spazzlings videos, I posted my video as a response to hers since I was inspired by her and mentioned it. And she was completely fine and happy that she'd given me inspiration. The video was similar to hers and in the same setting but it was at the same time completely different - because both videos had different editors.

If it's inspiration they may have gained from my video and do something similar, i have no problem with it. But if it's a direct copy of a scene which i have created (masked, used effects upon, colouration, etc) then i feel i little down-heartened. Like Seerai stated, it is the biggest form of flattery so at the same time, i would probably ignore it.

We are all also very protective of our work (some of us editors don't even know it), especially if a video we have made has taken us a long time to accomplish and we have worked so hard to make it the best it can be. When we later see someone use a scene which looks awfully similar to ours we feel slightly irritated by the fact that they have deemed to copy a section of our work (this isn't always the case). But from editor to editor we always gain inspiration from other peoples videos, so my final opinion upon this is: Inspiration is one thing, but copying is another. AND STEALING IS JUST A BIG NO NO! I personally think, as long as the person has referred to the person they gained this "copying" from or inspiration, then i think the whole situation is pretty much resolved by itself.

Hmm well have you ever heard of the phrase "Great minds think alike?"
Which means, some people might have the same idea as you but not even know that the idea has been done before. It happens. All the time. In Movies, Music, Books, Games you name it.

But when its a clear copy, clip from clip, same song and everything - then yeah that might annoy you a little bit I wouldn't go ape about it. There is loads of videos on youtube which use similar songs and there is only a limited amount of clips. Its a hard thing to like or dislike, I'm neutral on this.

Like Gen, I am also neutral on the subject I suppose. Unless someone is ripping and re-uploading your video I don't see what the uproar is about. :O
I'll probably never have to worry about it, no one likes my videos enough to steal them. xP

Haha I follow you guys all the way. It's just that my particular case that I discovered yesterday was a complete copy. The only thing that was different was I used Twilight and she used some korean drama

My vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yKK-JWwSbU

She deleted her vid after I found out it was a copy of mine so I don't have something to show but

if you look at my vid, there's a certain direction in the story, and I used a pink font for the girl's lyrics and a blue font for the boy's lyrics and purple when both sang at the same time.

She did the same thing with the same fonts. She copied my fonts and colors for the fonts and used the lyrics like I did.

What got me even more mad was the part around 0:29 of my vid where I had California, then an X over it and put Forks in front of it. She did the same thing. Same font, color, and instead of saying Forks she put Seoul.

She also copied my sequence of clips. The little love triangle, the little argument, and the kiss scene at the end. Everything.

I've had a few of my subscribers copy my style and implement it into parts of their vids with their own personal touch and I'm fine with it. It's just that when it's a clear copy then it's something different.
And I wasn't the one to discover this incident. One of my subscribers sent me the video and said "Did you know this person copied your J/B vid?" So it wasn't only clear to me but to others as well

/rant (haha sorry I was just so outrageously mad that it was pretty much a clone of my vid xP)


But from what you guys said, yes being inspired by others is great. And trying to imitate their style is fine as long as you either credit them or add your own personal touch to it. People do use the same songs and the same fandoms and it's understandable if the story and flow is similar.
But copying is different. I'm not using the word copying loosely. When I say copy, I mean just taking an idea that's not yours and putting it off as if it was. I guess a more accurate term for what I'm saying is plagiarize.

I don't think I've ever had a video of mine stolen or copied before, but like Tifa326x, I wouldn't be annoyed if someone unintentionally made a video similar to mine, but I would be annoyed (but not really pissed) if someone pretty much did or tried to do all of the same, exact things I did in my video without telling or crediting me.

I've never had someone steal my video nor have I had one copy my "style" or "technique." I put those words in quotations not because I don't believe them, but because I don't think I really have a style : s I'm still trying to find it myself! haha, but I would be extremely angry if someone had copied mine or stolen it. That's just how I am. I can get really heated if something were to happen like that and especially if they have the nerve to say that they didn't when it's really obvious.

i wouldn't be very happy if someone did that to me but at the same time i would be totally ecstatic, it would feel like "ah they ripped me but I'm finally good enough for people to WANT to rip me XD"
The fact of the matter is, coincidences are ok, its no-ones fault butwhen its clear cut that its a complete copy/steal its just not acceptable, particularly if you have worked really hard on your vid. Its not fair for someone else to then download and re-upload saying "its mine"

Yeah I'm really against any kind of theft or copying - i oncehad a girl who kept copying my hairstyle and colour whenever I changed it, that was horrifically frustrating, i imagine its the same feeling.

Copycats are something similar as thieves, for me. I don't understand why some people really wants to be like other people. Well, hey! You're not his clone to be like him. Of course, everyone is surely enough creative to create his own editing style. No one of us can be like the other, even if we want. We can get some ideas from other editing styles and then create a new one, pretty original and unique, but... copying... You lose your own pride.
You don't have your own freedom. Losing your pride, you're losing your freedom. And freedom, for my option, is an important part of creating your own editing style. You can't be like the others, but the others can help you to find out who you really are, to find out the creative person in you. So, why copying other people if you can be who you are? :)

I think in order to move onto your own unique style, you need "inspiration" from others or to learn certain techniques from others. I think thats where some copying happens. Where people want to test something but I agree with you that if its copying clip by clip/ effect by effect/ then there seems to be well - a bummer.

I've never experienced that before; I actually find that a form of flattery. This person must look up to you so much, to feel the need to replicate what you've created. It doesn't mean that it's right, and you do have the right to feel anger over it, after all you put your effort, and ideas onto it solely by yourself. I think you've handled kind of well? mm? Usually it would get real ugly...I've seen it get nasty before, which left me not to take either sides. Some editors get real sensitive over it, to bring it to escalate, and then this drama unfolds...(.__.)

I don't know. Meh.

If it happened to me, it depends what video to be honest. If it's a video that is very special to me, or a video that I've worked very hard on, then I might get a bit, sensitive over it, but I would want to handle it nicely, instead go and say "GO TO HELL DIE DIE" *brings all my friends I know and PB it* (just an example of what I've seen before from others) >.>

But yeah, there's a fine line between copying and inspiration. I think if someone copies, they should at least credit, but creating by your own imagination is worth it and the way to go. @@/ And you'll feel good about yourself. 8l

^ I agree with Lis. There IS a fine line between copyring and inspiration. And I have seen lots of people credit the person they were inspired of. I've never actually watched a video where its been a straight off copy but its happened to myself before. And when I saw the other video, I felt a little odd because it was the same footage and the same song I used but..I didn't want to cause a war about it because I just hate arguing with people and its not MY footage anyway and the video didn't have any storyline or anything special. Which meant I didn't want to make a big deal really.

there is also always the chance that the person had absolutely know idea the other video existed - or perhaps they did but didn't link their own inspiration to remembering viewing the video. If I make sense...what I mean is, for example the other day I was thinking about making a video to a certain pairing, to a certain song, I even had the clips mapped out slightly, but I had this niggling feeling that I'd seen it before - it turned out I had, and the reason I'd had the idea was that I had seen it myself. Ofcourse, I didn't make the video, but even if I had, I wouldn't have intentionally copied.
Sometimes its obvious when someone has the same idea as you, but it's harder to work out if it was intentionally copying or just taking inspiration (maybe in some cases a little too extreme). Anyway, it's probably always best to state your inspiration, if you have any other than yourself.
I've had a video ripped and then chopped up, the parts used mixed up with others. You can't really say, even when it is clearly ripped from your account, that they can't do that and they should take it down - as we don't hold any copyright to what we make, but it's a matter of courtesy not to do it. That did annoy me a little but I just asked them not to do it again and left it there.
If I saw someone with a video the same style etc as me, I'd probably not say anything. It's kind of flattering really that someone likes your style.

Ofcourse Kelly, if I was in your shoes I'd have said something though, as it seems it was obviously inspired by you and they didn't mention it...but other than that...what can you do I guess? :\

Anyway, my post is too rambly and probably contradicted myself a few times...oh well XD

I agree with most peoples opinions on this post, there's a fine line between inspiration and plain copying but the problem is that your going to get this in a community where a certain type of footage is very popular and everyone uses the same program - its like saying that because I use Shatter 3D means that everyone else can't use it because I used it in my videos, it would just be unfair. But what really gets me is when people download your videos and attempt to hide them in thier videos by mixing them up a bit by coving them up with a massive amount of effects, that's never right.

Well coming back to this topic, one of my videos were copied. As in same effects, same clips used etc. And it felt horrible you know? Because they even showed it to me and I really didn't know what to say.

Apparantly it was "inspired" but..I didn't know if I could accept that or not. I felt kinda horrible.

I can imagine that to be quite awkward, especially if the person who made it was a friend. It's hard to say what to do in that situation too. Well, I hope you didn't get down about it :\