http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/89662279-2811463993.html
Hanwei stole my video without permission and added their logo on it!
:(

[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]

I've seen the video, or at least one similar, and I really enjoyed it. Sorry that it was stolen. In the small sword buying community here at myArmoury this news will likley not reflect well on Hanwei and could perhaps cost them some business. Who knows..? I doubt that the news will reach the majority of their customer base. I have no interest in their products so my distaste for their business practices won't result in lost business for them. Blatantly using someone else's video without their permission shows a real lack of class. Aren't there laws to protect you from this sort of theft?

http://hanweibladecenter.cn/list.php?id=4&l=ch&page=1
My video is on the top left, the latest one.


http://hanweibladecenter.cn/show.php?id=26&tid=369&l=ch
Turns out that they've stolen me not one but 2 videos!

From their mainland official forum site.

Lancelot,

I have enjoyed watching your videos over the years and I find them interesting and entertaining (especially when there are unintended results, like rooftop pipes getting broken.....but I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you :D ). While I certainly understand how the unauthorized use of your video would make you angry, I think there could potentially be some positives to it. Instead of thinking in terms of legal action, which you are very correct about being expensive and impractical (I've been down that road a few times myself), if they credit the video to you, and possibly provide links to your websites, it will result in more people viewing the video and the websites. Unless I'm missing something, I think this could be a good thing for you and your business.

I just hope you're not so put off by this that you decide to stop sharing!

You're right. I don't mind someone sharing and posting my videos actually. They're for sharing. Just dun put their logo on it without even asking the author... man....

And I'm glad you enjoy the videos... especially that COSTLY tragedy. :S Your enjoyment brought some values to it. :)

Ryan McLaurin wrote:

Lancelot, I have enjoyed watching your videos over the years and I find them interesting and entertaining (especially when there are unintended results, like rooftop pipes getting broken.....but I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you :D ). While I certainly understand how the unauthorized use of your video would make you angry, I think there could potentially be some positives to it. Instead of thinking in terms of legal action, which you are very correct about being expensive and impractical (I've been down that road a few times myself), if they credit the video to you, and possibly provide links to your websites, it will result in more people viewing the video and the websites. Unless I'm missing something, I think this could be a good thing for you and your business.

Don't worry, I'll keep posting. :D (as long as Nathan doesn't kick me out for always putting up videos)

Joe Fults wrote:

I just hope you're not so put off by this that you decide to stop sharing!

Well that's not very classy of them. :cry:

Well - the videos ARE your intellectual property..so, legally they are in breach of copyright..UNLESS there is some small print in Youtube's terms of use that gives THEM the rights to use any vids posted on youtube to their advantage. If so..then Hanwei may have gotten the OK and paid youtube for their use. Or..more likely, they just grabbed it without permission and figured they'd get away with it :(

Either way..hit up Hanwei.."suggest" they recompense you in some way..say free samples of their new products for you to do more testing on ?? :)

I've got their response from mainland China and they apologized and said they'll remove the video. The company claimed it was done by an individual fan of their product, while I know personally that "the individual" was responsible for promoting sales and group purchase for Hanwei, even working at their display room as tour guide, so you guess how can the "individual fan" post video on their official site.

Here're the original text. No compensation. Just apology.

陳至盈先生，

您好。

我是大連漢威刀劍製造有限公司的商務代表。今天在官方的微博上看到羅柏豪先生的一條留言，提及我公司未經授權使用您製作的視頻，並發佈至網上的消息。對於此事我們經過核實，證實是大連的一位刀友的個人行為。我們已經聯繫這位元刀友，對此視頻進行處理。

因管理疏忽對您造成的損失予以道歉，我公司今後將加強管理力度，杜絕類似事件的發生。同時感謝您對本公司的支持，歡迎您繼續使用漢威刀劍的產品。期待將來一同合作的機會，漢威刀劍將願意通過您的幫助生產您所期望的產品。如有任何疑問和要求，歡迎聯繫我，聯繫方式如下：

電話：0411-84309433/0411-84309833

傳真：0411-84309033

郵箱：info@hanweimetal.com



祝您身體健康，工作愉快

大連漢威刀劍製造有限公司商務代表：

寧博



2012年11月12日
你好，陈至盈先生。
我是大陆的一位刀友，平时喜欢在网上看刀剑试斩的视频。前些日子在youtube上看到了您“sword test day2”的视频，觉得很好，并且很少看到这种批猪手的测试，所以便自己下载下来，又填上汉威刀剑的水印投稿给汉威了。
在这里跟您道歉了，不好意思在未经授权的情况下使用了您的视频，放在网上的带水印的视频已经删掉了，给您带来的不便敬请谅解。> <
2012年11月12日
小云

Hey guys, I've messaged Lancelot from another forum...

My understanding of the intent of the Hanwei Blade Center site is to show Hanwei fans who cannot access youtube (because of the Chinese firewall) fan-made videos that reside there. To show them what customers outside of China are doing with Hanwei swords, etc.

Bottom line, Hanwei should not have used Lancelot's videos without his permission and certainly should not have added the logo/watermark to them. I understand that Hanwei has taken down the video, thankfully. I have also advised Hanwei that permission needs to be granted to them to use ANY video on the Blade Center website.

Blake

Blake is fine. The problem lies in Hanwei headquarter.

Just to let you know more about how the mainland Hanwei (the headquarter) handles this stuff.

I actively sought their customer service out, the one who sent me the initial email. I told her I've replied the email but got no response since then. She said she forwarded it to her colleague to follow up. Then I said did she know a guy from Hanwei phoned to me but did not make any apology? She said her account is for sales and not for following problems. If I have any further problem, I should simply email her. Heck, I contacted her through QQ BECAUSE there was no reply on email and she directed me to email her further?

I also posted the issue on Hanwei forum on a knifriend.com group and they simply deleted my post.

Here are the evidences:
[ Linked Image ]

[ Linked Image ]

To conclude the matter, they've openly apologized on their official forum, thus closing the case. :)

[ Linked Image ]

Dunno... at least their fans dun keep attacking me now by justifying Hanwei's mistakes.

We'll see what opens for the future, for I've written some favorable test reports of Hanwei's swords as a reply to their apology.

Jean Thibodeau wrote:

Lancelot Chan wrote: To conclude the matter, they've openly apologized on their official forum, thus closing the case. :) Well glad it got resolved but if you managed to get this done without any hard feelings on either side, and made some " friendly contact there " you might be able to suggest something that would be to your and Hanwei's marketing advantage ? If you give them permission to use some clips on a case by case basis with full and complete attribution to you: They might even be interested in sending you sample swords for testing and give your business some advertising on their site ?

Lance: I am glad you have this resolved to your liking. However, being completely honest, I would have like to have been able to have read the dialogue between Hanwei and yourself. My Chinese is a bit out of practice. :p