TeamFourStar and Fair Use

[MasenkoHA]

So I watched this video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9w7W8MFRcw

where Sean Schemmel is asked his opinion on Teamfourstar. Ignoring the clickbait title he does think they’re funny and talented but doesn’t like they’re using copyrighted material and continue to do so after Funimation and Toei told them to stop. His argument is that it’s not covered by Fair Use. And I think he makes a valid point there.

A lot of fans, stupidly, think because it’s a parody that doesn’t directly profit it’s protected by fair use but really that’s a lie. TeamFourStar does make money from Let’s Play’s which has them using the DBZA characters to make a profit. They may not make money from the series directly but they have used the series popularity to make money. So they are actually profiting off the use of unlicensed footage.

And Fair Use generally has limitations on how much of a copyrighted material one can use before Fair Use stops protecting it. And when the series extensively uses footage they didn’t pay to use to say nothing of the heaps of copyrighted music they use (which is one of the many reasons fans wanting this show on dvd is so dumb. All the copyrighted songs and references would be a damn nightmare).


But on the other hand meh I don’t think TFS is honestly getting money that would have otherwise gone to Toei and Funimation. And Dragon Ball is a pretty strong brand as Broly’s box office numbers attest to.

[BlueChi]

A lot of fans, stupidly, think because it’s a parody that doesn’t directly profit it’s protected by fair use but really that’s a lie. TeamFourStar does make money from Let’s Play’s which has them using the DBZA characters to make a profit. They may not make money from the series directly but they have used the series popularity to make money. So they are actually profiting off the use of unlicensed footage..

I don't see the problem with them using the characters for their Let's Plays and such. Even on regular old TV we have a lot of sketch shows that parody other popular series or real-life personalities and everyone's pretty OK with that. It's ascended role-playing, essentially. As long as they're not using the series proper in an unadulterated manner to make money, I'd say they hit that sweet grey spot where I have no problem with them using the IP for monetary purposes.

[eledoremassis02]

I think them using their parody voices is fine, it's when they sell shirts with dragon balls and clealy using characters is when I can't figure out how they didn't get in trouble

[The Time Traveller]

Even on regular old TV we have a lot of sketch shows that parody other popular series or real-life personalities and everyone's pretty OK with that.

A sketch show is a sketch show though, if the show was called Batman's Crappy Low Budget Adventures and it was entirely a Batman comedy sketches they'd probably get in trouble for it.

They're taking footage of a show to tell the exact same story with jokes. It's low effort, if it was animated from scratch and had new music it would have probably been fine but that would be too difficult to make. I'd watch an internet puppet show called Dragon Ball Abridged though...

[gokaiblue]

They make ad revenue off of DBZA if I recall correctly, so that's kinda pushing the boundaries of fair use. It's almost legitimately an alternate dub of Dragon Ball Z at points, so there's that

[MasenkoHA]

They make ad revenue off of DBZA if I recall correctly, so that's kinda pushing the boundaries of fair use. It's almost legitimately an alternate dub of Dragon Ball Z at points, so there's that

They don’t get ad revenue from DBZA. Ads don’t play on those videos.

They get money off Let’s Play and T-shirts which on their own don’t violate Fair Use but it gets murky that they built a brand off an IP they don’t have rights to.

[MasenkoHA]

They're taking footage of a show to tell the exact same story with jokes. It's low effort, if it was animated from scratch and had new music it would have probably been fine but that would be too difficult to make. I'd watch an internet puppet show called Dragon Ball Abridged though...

Not helping that the episodes can run almost as long as a normal episode.

If the episodes were 5 minutes or less each and weren’t structured like a fandub with added humor they might of had a better case



I should clarify I’m a huge fan of DBZA it even got me back into Dragon Ball. And I don’t think they’re not really hurting TOEI and Funimation (and truthfully if they were Toei would have decimated them).

But I can’t objectively say they’re not violating copyright.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

They're taking footage of a show to tell the exact same story with jokes. It's low effort, if it was animated from scratch and had new music it would have probably been fine but that would be too difficult to make. I'd watch an internet puppet show called Dragon Ball Abridged though...

Not helping that the episodes can run almost as long as a normal episode.

If the episodes were 5 minutes or less each and weren’t structured like a fandub with added humor they might of had a better case



I should clarify I’m a huge fan of DBZA it even got me back into Dragon Ball. And I don’t think they’re not really hurting TOEI and Funimation (and truthfully if they were Toei would have decimated them).

But I can’t objectively say they’re not violating copyright.

Though it seems apparently it hasn't gotten to the point where either FUNimation and or Toei comes down on TFS and slaps them with a C&D notice or lawsuit.

Now admittedly i am not a lawyer or legal scholar so i don't know the exact specs of this thing, but i have at least read on how Fair Use and copyright works.

[Super Sayian Prime]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

Toei probably could've used that as proof of damages in a lawsuit.

[MasenkoHA]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

Toei probably could've used that as proof of damages in a lawsuit.

You can find a lot of shit Dragon Ball opinions online. I’ve seen everything from Sean Schemmel is the true voice of Goku to skip Dragon Ball to DBZA is how you should watch Dragon Ball

[Tian]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

I can't still believe there are people who think DBZA as something canon or official.

I mean it's a good parody but it is not something I'd like to see as an official dub.

[TheBigBoy]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

This opinion is surprisingly prevalent online.

[MasenkoHA]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

I can't still believe there are people who think DBZA as something canon or official.

I mean it's a good parody but it is not something I'd like to see as an official dub.

I’ve literally seen a reddit where a fan wanted Adult Swim to run it on tv.

Because it’s not like they can’t just watch the series on Youtube or anything.

It’s like when fans want Funimation to put the series on dvd. Ignoring the obvious issues with that why the hell would pay money for something that’s free?

[ABED]

Still bugs me whenever voice actor lists or comparisons are brought up, TFS actors get included along side official actors.

[MasenkoHA]

Still bugs me whenever voice actor lists or comparisons are brought up, TFS actors get included along side official actors.

Yep almost every voice comparison video on Youtube has someone in the comments whining for the video creator to include the TFS cast member.

[JohnnyCashKami]

pay money for something that’s free?

Fans who are willing to support it financially, obviously.

[ZodaEX]

I remember when some click farm posted an article saying Abridged is the best way to watch DBZ.

I can't still believe there are people who think DBZA as something canon or official.

I mean it's a good parody but it is not something I'd like to see as an official dub.

Who thinks DBZA is canon? Point me to e'm.

[Tian]

Who thinks DBZA is canon? Point me to e'm.

From my own experience, I recall I saw some people in one of the DB communities on Google+ posting that TFS "canon" was better than the original. This was two years ago and I dunno if they are still there.

And then you have this:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/80 ... e/71387002

[ZodaEX]

Who thinks DBZA is canon? Point me to e'm.

From my own experience, I recall I saw some people in one of the DB communities on Google+ posting that TFS "canon" was better than the original. This was two years ago and I dunno if they are still there.

And then you have this:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/80 ... e/71387002

Well "better" is subjective, so technically they aren't wrong.

[PFM18]

It is a transformative version of the work that does not serve as a market substitute for the work, nor do they directly profit off of it. It is protected under fair use.