More drama. Content Matrix, Vivid.
 

Interesting communique...


EMail as follows:


Gentlemen:
As you may be aware, Vivid Video, Inc. ["Vivid"] and Matrix Content, Inc. ["Matrix"] are currently involved in a potential dispute involving the alleged use of photographic images in which Matrix owns the copyright. More specifically, Matrix furnished Vivid with a number of its copyrighted images for Vivid to post on the Internet. Matrix now asserts that some of the use of the Matrix photographic images by Vivid's distributors, and by Webmasters associated with Vivid, are beyond the scope of its grant of permission to use.

Vivid is hoping to resolve the matter and avoid litigation with Matrix over the use of said images. Accordingly, to the extent that you are able to identify any photographic images placed on any of your Web sites that came from Vivid and originated with Matrix, please immediately remove such images from your Web sites, and sever any Internet links that you may have for such images to any other Web site of which you are aware. To the extent that you may have hard physical copies or chromes of said images, they must be immediately returned to Vivid. Failure to remove such images and links, and to return the copies to Vivid, could subject you to potential claims of Matrix.

If you are unable to determine exactly which photographic images furnished to you by Vivid are in fact images that originated with Matrix, please let us know forthwith. We will be asking Matrix to identify any of its copyrighted images of which it is aware as well.

I am sorry for any inconvenience that the foregoing may cause you, but it is in everyone's interest that we cooperate in the joint effort.

Sincerely,
Vivid Video, Inc
Steven Hirsh, President

Yep ... Got some extra work to do.:BangBang:

matrix just gets better and better.......

I am wondering what set's they are.

Whatever happened with you and Leslie, did you guys end up amicably or no dice?

I have talked to Marc a lot in Vegas and Phoenix, and he is quite serious about protecting his copyrights. There is gold in them there hills.

Yeah we're cool.

Things went fine behind the scenes, she really is a sweet heart I just have a problem in offices. The right decisions were made and ultimatly I should have been more professional about my thoughts publicly in hind site.

I insulted her I do feel bad for that she didnt deserve it and I should have realised company life is not for me and just been upfront.

Thank you Baddog, and yes I need to get back to you today.

Let me also state that Steve has left other info out of his letter. He left out that last year we notified them that they used our images on a DVD box cover. we asked them to come to the table to talk about it. then we found another box cover with our image on it. Still no contact. The box covers were from 2001 and predated any sales of those images to Vivid. Also, they used our image in advertisements in Newspapers/magazines again without purchasing them. We attempted last year to settle this matter simply.

Then we discovered that they were giving away our images to webmasters in their affiliate program. They are now stating that they had a verbal agreement with an individual who is no longer at the company. They say he gave them the right to give away the content. We contacted the individual and he denies their claim.

Any company that has purchased content for their webmasters in an affiliate program has bought that content with the license for that purpose. Vivid does not have that license. If they do, let them produce it and post it here.


As long as Steve felt it was necessary to put this information out, he should have put out the rest of the information.

Did Matrix really sell everyone out like has been reported on numerous occassions? over the whole acacia thing?

Thats why you people should use their own content all the time, otherwise they exposed themselves to that kind of shit

Not again :warning

i am behind Matrix 100% on this. People think a fucking $40 license gives them the right to do whatever the fuck they want with content that isn't their property, it's property owned by the content provider and the word 'licensed' means there's a license that goes with it which details quite clearly what that license allows you to do with it.

I guarantee you that Redlight District Video could do exactly what Matrix is doing and could make more money in legal damage awards than they will in DVD sales this year. I know RLD has a new lawyer :Graucho

very interesting

can vivid and/or matrix please put out what sets these are (pics) so it can be easier for us to remove them? seems silly to make us go hunting for them

I suspect that somebody powerful is behind Matrix and is enforcing the copyright. This individual may have a patent company and is going after everybody in the business who he believes is infringing on his intellectual property.

It is unusual that Steve Hirsch, Vivid owner, would send out this letter. It shows that this is a big deal. I wonder how many people are affected by this.

We know that Webquest handles Vivid's Internet operation. This matter must go back years.

A clash of the titans?

that is the funnisest F u ck ing conspiracy theory i have ever heard.


thanks for the laugh :thumbsup

wasn't matrix accused of using stolen content a few months back or is this the same controversy?

Matrix has never been accused of using stolen content. Must have been another company.

yes, me too. He sure does.

LOL.. sorry.. too much daily controversy combined with the lack of a search feature

Yes, it is true. The laywer sent us quite a high bill too for preparing the license. Obviously, as a content provider, we are interested in enforcing it and protecing our content.

Martin

As the Stomach Turns, They should, as some one has already stated, publish the images in question to bring a quick end to the dispute:2 cents:

Yes ... That would be great.

ok Luke why not publish who you think or have heard is the powerful entity behind Matrix Content? I have heard the same rumors going back to the ACACIA debacle. Print it as a rumor not as a fact. Because it is a rumor.

I'm behind Matrix on this. They have to protect their copyrights and go after those abusing it. Go get em Marc :thumbsup