Last night, while burning the midnight oil, writing a long delayed review of another Pink Film, I was googling for some of
my past reviews as reference to
Lucas Mercado's "
Imahinasyon" when I inadvertently came across a link that had extensive use of "
Make Be Blush".
The blog -
Pinoy Indie Cinema!
I don't mind Film Blogs. In fact I have links of similar blogs. I love discourses about films, and I encourage people to write about their own "subjective" experience while watching films. But this particular blog - Pinoy Indie Cinema - had something peculiar! In its 10 most read posts are 3 films with curiously very similar synopsis. When I clicked on one, I realized that the whole synopsis was mine! And it was made out as though the blog owner wrote them because there was no attribution to speak of! I eventually found 10 other movies with synopsis all plagiarized from "Make Me Blush" - featured as stand alone pages. Since these posts DO NOT have personal criticisms of their own, these synopses constitute 99% of each post. I couldn't help but get infuriated.
Writing these reviews aren't a walk in the park. I had to sometimes brave some of the most execrable movie houses (along with my dear friend Kyle) just to see them - then be able to write about them! And writing isn't easy when you don't like what you are watching, which is most of the case where Pink Films are concerned. But since this blog "tries" to document every Filipino Movie that gets shown commercially, I persist!
SAME PROBLEM
Last year, I had the same problem when another film blog did the same idiotic deed. I left him a note - and he apologized, saying: "I thought these were synopses from publicities." Of course he was trying to get off easy because if he had half a brain, he would know that these synopses have criticisms in themselves. And who is he fooling? Simply put, I wasn't born yesterday. He removed what wasn't his... and life went on as it should. But why am I fodder to these copyright infringements? I do not mind being referenced and quoted, but having my text-work copy pasted and taken as theirs is beyond tolerance!
Why does it always happen to me? I am not the only one with film blogs!
WHAT IDIOT
Let's take for example the page post for "Dulas" in "Pinoy Indie Cinema". There was actually acknowledgment. After having the 3 paragraphs of summary, this was erroneously attributed to "Philbert Dy of Click the City"! What the... indeed! What idiot cannot copy paste and attribute properly?
Seeing my synopses in other blogs is not an issue, but when they are treated as anything but mine or Blush's, it becomes a grievous violation; like getting used and abused without my consent. It's not the most pleasant feeling. I left messages to the blog owner for the removal of my works. From here on, he is NOT welcome to any of my text works, acknowledged or not! I've so far gotten no reply. Blogger advises to click the "Flag" button, but the owner has conveniently hidden this. So I am left with the more inconvenient recourse.
How can people sleep soundly making blogs out of other people's hard work? More importantly, how can they own up something that is not theirs? Some people could be so "shameless", and it's better emphasized in its vernacular: "Walang hiya!"
I was restless most of last night, I kept turning in my bed. But there are measures to be done. People have to respect intellectual property because there are repercussions when you don't!
To those who helped share this on Twitter and Facebook, to disseminate the misdeed, I don't know who you are, guys, but thank you! :)
Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank the Google Team for extending their help on this matter. When I faced a blank wall, you paid attention swiftly! Talk about competence. I could kiss you, guys! Thank you, thank you. Mwah!
I was able to screencap these pages as
proof. Posted below are screen caps to the pages
plagiarized from my reviews:
Here are some of the infringements I found:
FILM No. 1 - "Laro" - A review which I posted November
15, 2011
His blog used the full text of my
synopsis without even asking for permission nor give attribution - posted March 3,
2012 Saturday
FILM No. 2 - "Salo (Share)" - A review I posted
February 2, 2012
His blog used my text 2 weeks after
and posted it February 16, 2012
FILM No. 3 - "Dulas (Slippery)" - a review I posted on
July 24, 2011
His blog used my text work and
published it February 23, 2012
FILM No. 4 - "Balang Araw (Bullet Day" - a review I
posted February 4, 2012
His blog used my text 12
days later on February 16, 2012
Even his trivia used my
text verbatim, straight out from my article. He even used the screencaps I
personally captured from the trailer. While the film isn't mine, this is
putting emphasis that he blatantly uses other people's work.
FILM No. 5 - "Dyagwar" - A review I posted
December 20, 2011
He used my text 2 months
later on February 23, 2012
FILM No. 6 - "HIV" - A review I posted
December 21, 2011
He used my text and even
a couple of the photos I screencapped myself straight from the trailer of the
film. He posted this 5 weeks later on February 13, 2012
FILM No. 7 - "Bingwit (Hook)" - I posted a review
on September 16, 2011
He used my text on
December 28, 2011 without my permission though he finally acknowledged that it
indeed came from my blog. Still I did not allow this.
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| As though copy pasting my synopsis wasn't enough, he even quotes lines from Click the City and Make Me Blush! |
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| Even his trivia was copied verbatim from my review! Without attribution, of course! |
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| Now he includes a critique for "Dulas", where does he lift it from? Make a good guess. Maybe it's his because once again, there was no acknowledgment! |
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| These were 2 photos included in Pinoy Indie Cinema's movie stills, now observe the pages from "Make Me Blush" below! |
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| Check the text and the screen cap of Jake Cuenca! While I don't own the rights of the movie, these photos were personally screencapped by me for the article (the two featured above)! |
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| Here is another copy pasted synopsis that's part of MY review. Guess where he got the photo? This is the only one with proper attribution. Stepped on crap that day? |
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| Synopsis as part of my review gets plagiarized once again and made out like it's his! The first paragraph was tweaked differently... "figuratively playing the snake in paradise"? Haha. Ohgawd. But the rest of the article was mine, including description of the "hopelessly homely Lorraine Lopez". |
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| Verbatim copy pasting of MY synopsis with no attribution and taken like it's his own! |
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| Portion of the review of "Bahid" from "Make Me Blush". Spot the difference? |
