Stealing, Plagerism, and Egoism
Hey there,
Being a writer by profession, I felt compelled to chime in with my point of view about the copyright dealio on the CEP Patch.
Having had an editor from a sports network directly plagerize my work on a couple of occasions (insult added to injury as the articles plagerized where never published), I can say firsthand, its infuriating. After cooling down, I was able to console myself with the old addage that imitation is the highest form of flattery. While a perverted form, essentially all plagerism is imitation, or moreover, the admission that someone has wrought a work superior to your own. Maybe this psychological take is mere rationalization, a means of consoling oneself in the midst of a vast helplessness, a desperate, last-grasp notion of a loser...
Now to the CEP...The fact is the work on the patch, graphically at least, is excellent, so many patch makers (including myself) are tempted to "borrow" from the material. In some cases, the motiviation is undoubtedly laziness, but for most its the self-admission that we could not make a better kit, flag, background, minikit, etc., ourselves. So, in a sense each time someone uses material from CEP, they are actually complimenting the authors.
Admittedly, it's difficut to accept this point of view if you are the party who has done all the leg work; and for those who don't make patches, it's very difficult to imagine how much time and effort these things take to complete. It really does take dedication to produce a quality patch, especially one the with the scope of the CEP, and folks should appreciate this fact more than they do at present. Let's face it, not everyone gives credit where and when it is due relative to the true creators of stadiums, kits, templates, etc. It's this ugly trend, which has been prevalent for the entirety of the eight or so years I've been editing the FIFA games, that more than likely compelled Ockham to copyright the patch.
I have no doubt that the uncrediting "borrowing" will continue well into the future; it's human nature, so folks are just plain dishonest. Since none of us are making these patches for money, there is little that can be done when the theft occurs. Most people clog 10 pages or so of their thread lamenting the act, but to what effect? So from that standpoint the copyright makes plenty of sense.
Having said that, I don't feel the copyright is necessarily warranted soley due to context: none of us are supporting our families on the income from patches. And this is where egosim, a completely human and understandable egoism, come into play. A copyright saves the author(s) from having to endure theft, plagerism, etc., and it elevates, the work, and subsequently the author to the fore of the community due to materials unique copyrited standing. In a sense, the copyright bequeaths a certain "elevation" to the authors in this situation. Based on what I've read in the posts before my own, my impression is that many feel this may be the actual motivation for the copyright.
In that regard, we have to give the dude a break. It's unlikey that Ockham simply wanted to be a FIFA editing superstar of some kind, and more likely that he just didn't want to be ripped off. Granted the ancillary benefits are quite nice, and maybe too often indulged for the taste of some. That's people: you don't have to like everyone, but you should respect and tolerate them. Aside from that, he organized a massive task, so if he wants to aggrandize himself a bit, perhaps he's earned. Like I said, you don't have to like it, but you do have to cope with it.
I don't know if this amounts to a defense or an assualt, or simply is mindless rambing. Personally, I'm going with mindlessness...the point being this, sharing of material is what has made these forums such a success, at least in my mind. Cooperation between people who live in different countries and continents, who have probably never and will never meet each other, it's a beautiful thing -- and increasingly rare in this world. The copyright definately infringes on this concept, and hopefully will have no place in the future of these forums. If it does, we'll just have to find a way to work with it.
Additionally.CMP files may also be the death nell for massive patches like the CEP, so this copyright business may not be an issue going forward. Time will tell....
One last thought: the legality of a copyright on materials predicated upon the use another's copyrighted material is highly suspect, no?
...so I suppose that nobody knows when it'll be released including Esterry & OckHAM...