League of Angels ads using (without permission and without credit) DOA series video

SC234

New Member
I was not sure where to post this. If there is a better place for it, please move it there. Thanks.
I have seen League of Angels (http://angel.gtarcade.com / © 2013 UUZU Games Hongkong Limited) ads on http://rateyourmusic.com using video (probably without permission and definitely without credit) from Dead or Alive 5 and/or Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate and from what appears to be Dead or Alive Paradise. I have seen these League of Angels ads when visiting http://rateyourmusic.com immediately after visiting http://www.freestepdodge.com, http://www.doaworld.com, or http://www.gamefaqs....live-5-ultimate. Can anyone here recreate the situation and duplicate the result? I told the staff of rateyourmusic.com to look into this, because they are good people (in my experience, at least) and I think they would have removed the League of Angels ads if they were already aware of the questionable (and possibly illegal) use of video from the Dead or Alive series. Who should I tell at TECMO KOEI and/or Team NINJA? And what would be the best way to contact them? If someone with connections to the appropriate people could forward this information for me, I would appreciate it. I have screenshot proof (below) and video proof (181 MB .avi and 131 MB .avi).

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SC234

New Member
Thanks for your help!

I also personally posted a link and the Tina with League of Angels overlay screenshot to their Facebook and Twitter per Kodachi at DOA World.

"I see this way too much especially on DeviantART you can try alerting TeamNINJA/Tecmo through their social Media."
https://twitter.com/TeamNINJAStudio
https://www.facebook.com/teamninjastudio
https://twitter.com/tecmokoeieurope
https://www.facebook.com/tecmoeurope?ref=ts&fref=ts

Thanks to both Russian-chiropractic19 and Kodachi for your help. And thanks to GrimmieTime at DOA World for providing a link to the post by Bpatrol at NeoGAF as backup.

"I can't seem to get it. But this guy has. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=94991212 It happens way too often (especially with those sex ads) and it disgusts me."
 
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SC234

New Member
Russian-chiropractic19 received the following reply from Team NINJA via Facebook:

"Thank you Derek. We've noticed this ad and it absolutely infringed our IP. We work with our legal department and shut them down ASAP. Thanks again for letting us know. Happy New Year and you have a good one."

I received the following reply from Team NINJA via Facebook:

"Thank you Scott. Yes it is and we've worked with our legal department on it. Thank you for letting us know."

I received the following reply from rateyourmusic.com:

"There's really nothing that we can do about it. Those ads aren't running directly on RYM, they are part of a network that run on hundreds of sites, and Google manages that.

But there's not much Google can do either: Only the copyright holder would be able to file a complaint (in this case, Tecmo/team Ninja) and the person they would file a complaint against is League of Angels directly, not Google or the sites on which the ads appear. So if you're concerned, I'd recommend that you contact Tecmo/Team Ninja directly so that they can take appropriate action."

I am against copyright infringement. I am also against laziness, irresponsibility, and hypocrisy. So, rateyourmusic.com's reply makes me angry at both rateyourmusic.com and Google.

Thanks to whoever moved this to General Dead or Alive Series Discussion.
 
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Russian-chiropractic19

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
Eh shit happens it's up to TN from here. Off topic if you want to play the game you're defending so much you can try it for free on PSN :)
 

SC234

New Member
Actually, my wife bought DOA5 for PS3 (and gave it to me) when it was released and I bought DOA5U for PS3 (for myself) when it was released (I bought 2 copies, so I could get both GameStop's and Amazon's preorder bonus DLC.). And I have purchased all of the other DLC for both DOA5 and DOA5U as it has been released. Also, I bought DOA4 used (for myself) for Xbox 360. I happily support companies which make products I love and which appreciate their customers (Admittedly, it helps that I have liked most of the DLC for both DOA5 and DOA5U which I know is not the norm.). So, I hated to see another company using TECMO KOEI's/Team NINJA's DOA games content without payment and without permission to generate interest in its unrelated and undeserving game.

For what is worth, I also either own or owned Soul Calibur II (bought used by my wife and given to me), Soul Calibur III (bought new for myself), Soul Calibur IV (bought when released for myself), Soul Calibur V (bought when released for myself and later sold), Virtua Fighter 5 (bought used for myself and later sold), Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (bought/downloaded new for myself), and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (bought new for myself and later sold).
 

SC234

New Member
Ah thought you joined just to warn us about the copyright issue lol

Understandable. I have actually been a member (and a nearly daily visitor) since February 2013, but this was the first time I felt I could make a significant contribution, so I finally came out of hiding.

Anyway, thanks again for your help. I am glad it got you back into Team NINJA's good graces.
 
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SC234

New Member
The first YouTube screenshot below was posted January 4 by GrimmieTime at DOA World. The second YouTube screenshot below was taken today by me and shows the ads running on IGN's channel which has 4 million subscribers. My thoughts not GrimmieTime's: It is frustrating to see Google's NonSense (Oops, I meant to say AdSense.) and YouTube's Content ID fail so epically. They appear to be big hypocrites when it comes to making money via infringement of video games creators' copyrights.

I sent an update to Team NINJA and TECMO KOEI via Facebook and Twitter.

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Brute

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
"SevenCoolTweens" seems like an awfully weird channel to be watching. Especially when it has a "sexy" fake Tina ad on the side. >_>
 

Darkton93

Well-Known Member
My thoughts not GrimmieTime's: It is frustrating to see Google's NonSense (lollolsomature) (Oops, I meant to say AdSense.) and YouTube's Content ID fail so epically. They appear to be big hypocrites when it comes to making money via infringement of video games creators' copyrights.
Because it can't possibly be random or some kinda mistake, no, it has to be deliberate sabotage, RIIIIIGHT?
 

Forlorn Penguin

Well-Known Member
Premium Donor
I bumped into some of these ads myself, while on YouTube earlier. I also saw a League of Angels ad that wasn't using DOA images, but instead showed two 3d female models with large breasts dancing together in bikinis. One of them had animal ears and a giant tail, or what looked more like nine tails.
 

SC234

New Member
Because it can't possibly be random or some kinda mistake, no, it has to be deliberate sabotage, RIIIIIGHT?
I am trying (primarily) to help Team NINJA/TECMO KOEI (as are others, thanks again) and (secondarily) to point out the hypocrisy of Google/YouTube holding people who upload video games' content to higher standards than they hold themselves when it comes to ensuring video games creators' copyrights are not infringed upon. I said nothing about "deliberate sabotage", but the League of Angels ads on YouTube (and elsewhere) show Google is at best lazy and at worst irresponsible when it comes to vetting the advertisers and the ads from which they are getting a lot of money. Team NINJA/TECMO KOEI are currently getting no money from this advertiser and their ads, and they will need to fight to get any money from this advertiser and their ads. Google/YouTube are not equivalent to the guilty criminals behind League of Angels and its ads. But they are also not equivalent to innocent bystanders.
 
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CyberEvil

Master Ninja
Staff member
Administrator
Premium Donor
Wartune, another free web game, was doing this for a long time as well. Seems to be a rising trend with garbage web games.
 

Jon Erik Roldan

New Member
Russian-chiropractic19 received the following reply from Team NINJA via Facebook:

I received the following reply from rateyourmusic.com:

"There's really nothing that we can do about it. Those ads aren't running directly on RYM, they are part of a network that run on hundreds of sites, and Google manages that.

...

I am against copyright infringement. I am also against laziness, irresponsibility, and hypocrisy. So, rateyourmusic.com's reply makes me angry at both rateyourmusic.com and Google.

I would say, as a web designer, I completely agree with what RYM is saying. They can remove the spot for displaying ads (hence, removing ANY form of infringement) but at the same time removing what could be a good money generator (depends on how popular the site is). Adsense are all over the place like blogs, news sites, what have you.

Adsense doesn't work like traditional ads where you see what you others see. Ads can be triggered according to what the end users are reading, watching, and playing over the web.

I hope this doesn't offend you, but if you're going to get angry, get angry at Google for not being a gamer. If they are half a gamer as everyone else, they would instantly recognized one or two characters (even if they hate DOA) and raise a flag on these ads. Perhaps, they don't have time or the team to monitor these ads.
 

SC234

New Member
I would say, as a web designer, I completely agree with what RYM is saying. They can remove the spot for displaying ads (hence, removing ANY form of infringement) but at the same time removing what could be a good money generator (depends on how popular the site is). Adsense are all over the place like blogs, news sites, what have you.

Adsense doesn't work like traditional ads where you see what you others see. Ads can be triggered according to what the end users are reading, watching, and playing over the web.

I hope this doesn't offend you, but if you're going to get angry, get angry at Google for not being a gamer. If they are half a gamer as everyone else, they would instantly recognized one or two characters (even if they hate DOA) and raise a flag on these ads. Perhaps, they don't have time or the team to monitor these ads.

Thanks for your reply. I was not offended by it (nor by Darkton93's) at all. Everyone is entitled to express their thoughts. If not everyone shares my thoughts, that is cool. If no one's thoughts differed, the world would be a boring place.

I already knew how AdSense works. I told RYM "I have seen ads for League of Angels (© 2013 UUZU Games Hongkong Limited / http://angel.gtarcade.com) on your website which use (probably without permission and definitely without credit) video from either Dead or Alive 5 (© 2012 TECMO KOEI GAMES CO., LTD. & Team NINJA / http://teamninja-studio.com/doa5) or Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (© 2012-2013 TECMO KOEI GAMES CO., LTD. & Team NINJA / http://teamninja-studio.com/doa5/ultimate) and also from what appears to be Dead or Alive Paradise (©2010 TECMO LTD. / http://www.deadoralivegame.com). I saw these League of Angels ads when visiting your website immediately after visiting websites devoted to Dead or Alive games (http://www.doaworld.com, http://www.freestepdodge.com, and http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3/714549-dead-or-alive-5-ultimate), so the League of Angels ads appear to be specifically targeted." If RYM was my website and someone had brought the questionable ads to my attention, I would have contacted Google and told them to look into the questionable ads and to ensure the questionable ads did not run on my website unless/until it could be confirmed the advertiser was not committing copyright infringement. RYM essentially said it was not their problem ("There's really nothing that we can do about it."). And RYM's Terms of Service say "RYM considers the following behavior to be unacceptable conduct (The italics here and below were added by me for emphasis.), and may terminate your account and/or remove all content submitted by you if you are engaged in the following activities:"
  • "uploading, posting, e-mailing or otherwise transmitting any content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, publicity or other proprietary right of any party"
  • "uploading, posting, e-mailing or otherwise transmitting any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of such solicitation"
So, I do not think accusing RYM of laziness and hypocrisy was a stretch. Irresponsibility might have been a stretch. To be clear (better late than never, I hope), I blame RYM less than I blame Google, particularly because they rely on donations in addition to ad revenue and because they have fewer than 200 mostly volunteer staff.

And while I blame Google less than I blame the guilty criminals behind League of Angels and its ads, their revenue ($42.97 billion) and net income ($9.55 billion) through the first 3 quarters of 2013 (4th quarter results have not yet been announced), their cash and securites at the end of the 3rd quarter ($56.52 billion), and their number of employees at the end of the 3rd quarter (46,421) make a lack of resources for vetting the advertisers and the ads from which they are getting a lot of money ("Perhaps, they don't have time or the team to monitor these ads.") a lousy excuse.

Anyway, I hope my thoughts on RYM and Google (relevant to League of Angels and its ads) do not need to be explained further, because I would prefer this thread focused on finding and reporting the ads and on punishing the people behind them. However, I will continue to welcome differing thoughts. But please do not expect a reply from me, because I do not want my thoughts to distract from the real reason for this thread more than they already have.
 
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