It appears MostChameleon isn't the only one having 'problems' with CO police departments. Both skin packs I released have come down, per request be each department.

 

Yesterday I got a call from an employee of the Silverthorne police department I am friendly with, who supplied many of the images I used to create that skin pack. While he, and everyone else at the department, was relatively excited to see their skin concepts applied to vehicles not currently in their fleet, the city differs in opinion, asking the skins to not be available for public download. As my friend explained it over the phone, the city doesn't want to see someone like spierstheamazing stepping out of their cars and shooting up a bus for the world to see on youtube. I have always had a good relationship with the department, and plan on continuing it, so the files are in the process of coming down.

 

Today the Glendale PD drove the block to my house and came a-knockin. They were not so creative. Again, I was told it was a similar situation, the PD really didn't have a problem with the skins, the city had a problem with the game. They requested any images, content, and files come off the internet, and discouraged me from keeping the files to share for private use.

 

I was working on a super sneaky top secret project I hoped a lot of people would be surprised to see; Denver PD. I usually visit their fleet once a month to get updated pictures, and I was almost finished getting all the images I needed when they didn't return my call for my planned June visit.

 

I have good relationships with all these departments, personally visited their fleets, and they all knew what I was doing, with maybe the exception of Denver. I have no fancy Cease and Desist order, and no news article about me, but I was personally contacted by these departments, or ignored in denvers case, to remove my content for public download. This doesn't appear to be a trend in the state, and probably highly unlikely in the country, however all works in progress have been suspended until I contact each department and get clearance to continue.

 

As far as LCPDFR community goes, GPD, SPD, and DPD never discussed names.

Wow. Unbelievable.

Maybe Unr3al was right...

I am starting to get scared they may contact me to take down my files.

 

I laughed so hard when they mentioned Spiers.

Have you ever thought of using their fleet designs as a theme? Like Amtrak based Liberty County Skins or something?(Of course not including their department name in anything) Or do you think that would still be something they would not like?

 

With regards to it, it makes a lot of sense in terms of public relations. While I may not think Spiers shooting people is related to the actions of the department he is using in game I am sure that there are those out there that may. 

In all honesty do we really need another one of these threads? I'm not quite understanding the point of these topics whether it be to complain or inform (I'm assuming inform). But in all honesty this doesn't show a good light on anything rather than a negative effect on not only you, but the Community as a whole. Continuously showing that Departments are taking action is only going to result in such things further and further. Departments have good reasons to ask of this, just leave it at that and move on.

 

  As Beckugan1 stated the best course of action is using their liveries as themes and not using their name in particular. Might I also add you just leave it at that and just give the department your full co-operation since it's clear they want you to simply stop what you're doing for the sake of their city and their integrity as a Community Service and as a whole.

 

(Again, this is merely my opinion. It is not to offend nor instigate anyone. Period.)

Mine were much more casual requests than what MostChameleon had to deal with, I believe. It was just a phone call and a visit for me, rather than a letter and news article. Me and him do share the common goal of working for the departments we have depicted, so I will definitely be complying with any requests I receive from anyone at the departments I upload files of.

 

As for Denver, I would consider it a coincidence at this point. Never told them what the images I was collecting were even for.

 

As for spiers, I don't mean to call him out, probably shouldn't have used his name, but my friend at Silverthorne watches his videos and that's how he put it to me. I enjoy his video's, they have their place as much as hard core realistic series do.

 

***JUST TO CLARIFY***

I have received no official word from any chief of police or city official regarding any of my skins. I was contacted by individuals I know and am friendly with. However in both cases they told me their C.O.P. abstained any request from the city, and apparently both want my work down.

*Sigh*, in all honesty do we really need another one of these threads? I'm not quite understanding the point of these topics whether it be to complain or inform (I'm assuming inform). But in all honesty this doesn't show a good light on anything rather than a negative effect on not only you, but the Community as a whole. Continuously showing that Departments are taking action is only going to result in such things further and further. Departments have good reasons to ask of this, just leave it at that and move on.

 

  As Beckugan1 stated the best course of action is using their liveries as themes and not using their name in particular. Might I also add you just leave it at that and just give the department your full co-operation since it's clear they want you to simply stop what you're doing for the sake of their city and their integrity as a Community Service and as a whole.

 

Again, this is merely my opinion. It is not to offend nor instigate anyone. Period.

 

I respect your opinion.

 

I posted this thread because it directly correlates to events another user in our community is facing, a topic that is now closed. As for the negative light, I am complying fully with the departments.

 

Informing others that departments are taking action is a helluva lot better than removing the skins and vanishing into thin air, leaving everyone who requested work for me pissed off with no answers. The best way to go is generic liveries based off of themes, and it's where I am going now.

Thats Crazy, if it was me i would tell them unless they have a trademark on the logo and name then for them to stop contacting me and if they do for them to show me their trademark records...but thats just me

Edited July 2, 201312 yr by TomballPD

Thats Crazy, if it was me i would tell them unless they have a trademark on the logo and name then for them to stop contacting me and if they do for them to shove me their trademark records...but thats just me

 

It complicates things when you aspire to work for the department that's contacting you.

It complicates things when you aspire to work for the department that's contacting you.

 yea i totally understand where your coming from.

Having had this experience myself, I resorted to making textures based on real departments. It's completely understandable that departments don't want to see their officers being portrayed in such a manner of the the Grand Theft Auto games.

I respect your opinion.

 

I posted this thread because it directly correlates to events another user in our community is facing, a topic that is now closed. As for the negative light, I am complying fully with the departments.

 

Informing others that departments are taking action is a helluva lot better than removing the skins and vanishing into thin air, leaving everyone who requested work for me pissed off with no answers. The best way to go is generic liveries based off of themes, and it's where I am going now.

 

I can agree/understand. You have to understand it's hard to spot some users intentions of posting such topics when they go into such detail of what the Department is doing, as that can shine a negative light on the department, further instigating such things (I'm implying that most Departments prefer to keep such interactions private).

 

  I will state that people who did in fact request your skins could have been contacted via our PM system and notified of what happened, but a broader topic such as this does the same (Even though it is fully public). I hope that everything works out for the best in terms of your goal of joining their force and them being satisfied that they're not at risk for negative publicity due to possible instigators of such content.

 

-JAM.

The city wins in this case though. They have a ton of power and control the PD. Sucks,but c'est la vie

If it was something like Police Simulator (admittedly a bad game, but it's an expy of Germany's police forces), they'd have no issue with it. But because it is GTA (and Youtube), it's bad PR. I've a feeling this is going to lead to more police agencies locking out logos and skins for use. Which is totally their decision, after all it's their content at the end of the day and using it is just asking for trouble.

It isn't just GTA though. Over on Avsim, I've had a request from a police force (over here) not to paint an aircraft and release it. So it isn't just GTA, In LFS, there's been a takedown of an LAPD skin (albeit by the original painter and not the LAPD) because he wasn't happy with it. In NR2003, there's been a whole car set taken down over one logo on one skin (though that logo was blanked out and the set reuploaded)

 

MODERATOR NOTICE
Statements of self promotion of other topics/off topic have been removed. Please do not go off topic. - Staff.

EDIT: OP, from what I know of Denver, they do not mess around with sneaky projects either. I asked a cop there forhelp with a story I was writing and got told the following: (and bear in mind I was friends with the cop, but this came from the city)

A. Remove any reference to the Denver PD, as the city wasn't happy with a cop being shot in the story.

B. How to write an arrest. Okay i'll admit on this one I did skip a few things.

C. That I had to change the name of the precinct (which goes back to point 1)

 

D. Send in a copy for proof reading (which went okay actually)

 

And that's from declaring what I was doing and asking for help.

EDIT: OP, from what I know of Denver, they do not mess around with sneaky projects either. I asked a cop there forhelp with a story I was writing and got told the following: (and bear in mind I was friends with the cop, but this came from the city)

A. Remove any reference to the Denver PD, as the city wasn't happy with a cop being shot in the story.

 

The other day I watched a movie called "Things to do in Denver when you're dead" (1995); in one of the scenes two of the main characters (criminals) impersonating Denver police officers pull over a van, with the resultant violence. The cop car didn't have the same paintjob than the real one but still had logo and the Denver PD was mentioned. And even so the movie and the scene were released.

You could claim fair use, in the method that putting their logo and design in GTA IV is a form of parody. This would be protected under US fair use.

That being said, I don't think anyone is willing to fight a court battle on it. I think the best practice, whatever your intentions, is not to let them know in the first place.

 

Or you could do what Rockstar/The Simpsons/Family Guy themselves do to escape legal situations. They change a letter and a design slightly so it doesn't infringe on anything.

You could claim fair use, in the method that putting their logo and design in GTA IV is a form of parody. This would be protected under US fair use.

That being said, I don't think anyone is willing to fight a court battle on it. I think the best practice, whatever your intentions, is not to let them know in the first place.

 

Or you could do what Rockstar/The Simpsons/Family Guy themselves do to escape legal situations. They change a letter and a design slightly so it doesn't infringe on anything.

Doesn't free speech come to play somewhere along the lines here? 

It depends. In some cases, the First Amendment trumps trademark. Rockstar themselves won a big case about this for GTA:SA: One of the strip clubs they parodied [Play Pen, called Pig Pen ingame] sued and lost because of Rockstar's First Amendment rights (especially because GTA was ruled an artistic medium). When it's a government-held copyright or trademark, First Amendment issues get stronger. However, *copyright* is much more protected against First Amendment claims, and the city can legally hold copyright on its logos (depending on when they were made; if they were made too long ago, they needed to be registered; if they're REALLY old, they're public domain by now).

OTOH, if you want to be completely safe legally (and have better job prospects), just take the skins down.

All works in progress have been suspended until I contact each department and get clearance to continue.

Jay said it best. Stop talking about the mods. Stop contacting police departments. Just make your art and upload it if you want to share it. Worry about takedown notices once you get them. You're asking for trouble if you go around soliciting these things, I tried to make that clear in the last thread.

Jay said it best. Stop talking about the mods. Stop contacting police departments. Just make your art and upload it if you want to share it. Worry about takedown notices once you get them. You're asking for trouble if you go around soliciting these things, I tried to make that clear in the last thread.

You sir could not have said it any better. +1 for you.  Now I guess I will upload my New Mexico skins and if I get contacted by any departments I will take any necessary action.