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Walking Dead Fans Threatened With Lawsuit Over Spoilers

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D

Dalek

Member
Walking Dead Fans Threatened With Lawsuit Over Spoilers

As Torrentfreak report, a group called The Spoiling Dead Fans like to get their hands on everything to do with the show, even if it hasn’t been spoken about or aired publicly yet.

In this case, they say they know who Negan killed at the end of the last season, something regular viewers won’t find out until the next episode actually airs.

AMC are not happy about this. In a post made to the group’s Facebook page, the group’s leadership writes:

After two years, AMC finally reached out to us! But it wasn’t a request not to post any info about the Lucille Victim or any type of friendly attempt at compromise, it was a cease and desist and a threat of a lawsuit by AMC Holdings, LLC’s attorney, Dennis Wilson. They say we can’t make any type of prediction about the Lucille Victim. Their stance is that making such a prediction would be considered copyright infringement.
The threat worked. Being a community of fans, and not a commercial/news site, the operators feel that the risk of posting the spoiler isn’t worth the possible punitive action, and so won’t be sharing it.
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“Please respect our decision not to put our livelihoods at risk”, one writes on Facebook. “AMC has been harassing us for four days now by contacting our homes, our family members and our employers; even posting on this page and personal social media accounts. We are fans of this show just like you and aren’t a commercial operation that makes profit. We have families and careers to think about. No spoiler will ever be worth compromising those things. If you think this makes us pussies that are bowing down to AMC then so be it.”
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Torrentfreak got hold of the legal letter sent to the community, and it essentially threatens them with a copyright infringement lawsuit:

You also state that you plan to distribute this purported highly confidential information despite your knowledge that such distribution, if the information is indeed accurate, is unauthorized and will greatly damage AMC, distributors of The Walking Dead as well as Walking Dead fans awaiting the new seasons’ release who wish to watch their favorite show unspoiled.
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Cave in my skull with a baseball bat if old.
 
M

McDougles

Member
Just a reminder that Spoiling Dead has released revealing screenshots ahead of time in the past, including footage with AMC logos.

Not sure how distributing copyrighted material ahead of time is being defended, but here we are.
 
T

thecouncil

Banned
But the death wasn't delayed for the sake of attracting viewers to the premiere. It was because of the nature of the storytelling per season.

Hahaha. What's the next step in the seriousness of spoilers?
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
lmao, AMC did you really think this wasn't getting out??? Do you know how the internet works?! Still four months left for everyone who still gives a shit to find out, too, but please, keep fucking that chicken.

Everyone predicted this would be everywhere by the end of June and it will.
 
C

Corpekata

Banned
It's seriously boggling my mind that "as Walking Dead fans awaiting the new seasons’ release who wish to watch their favorite show unspoiled" was included in a legal threat.
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
McDougles said:
Not sure how distributing copyrighted material ahead of time is being defended
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It isn't.

The C&D is threatening to sue if any knowledge about who was killed by Negan at the end of this last season comes from this fansite before the episode airs.

That's not even fucking copyright infringement. Nobody's copyright is infringed by telling you the details of a story. If this site were selling a similar story that contained similar characters with an ending that contained similar acts, then it'd maybe be copyright infringement.

But a fansite telling other fans what happens in their favorite TV show before it airs isn't copyright infringement.

Besides which, the identity of the person who Negan hits in the head with a fucking baseball bat was "spoiled" by the comic book's 100th issue about four years ago.

So unless they plan on suing Robert Kirkman, this is really dumb.
 
?

>:)

Member
Now now, i'm sure the internet will be completely reasonable, and respect the wishes of AMC, infact I think 4chan is writing the apology note now as we speak. Everyone will be happy in the end you'll see :)
 
K

KRod-57

Banned
The show made the terrible decision to not show who was killed off in the final episode of last season.

Here's my theory, they're planning on breaking off from the comics and killing someone else, this lawsuit which would never ever ever hold water in court is to make people believe that the show does not plan on breaking away from the comic books
 
V

Violence Jack

Member
They can fuck right off after that finale. I kind of understand it from AMCs point of view, but it's not like their viewing numbers are going to take that big of a hit even if it were spoiled.
 
D

Dalek

Member
Bobby Roberts said:
It isn't.

The C&D is threatening to sue if knowledge about who was killed by Negan at the end of this last season comes from them.

That's not even fucking copyright infringement. Nobody's copyright is infringed by telling you the details of the story. If they were selling a similar story that contained similar characters with an ending that contained similar acts, then it'd be copyright infringement.

But a fansite telling other fans what happens in their TV show before it airs isn't copyright infringement.

Besides which, the identity of the person who Negan hits in the head with a fucking baseball bat was "spoiled" by the comic book's 100th issue about four years ago.
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And not only that-they ruined the suspense of the scene by basically showing you the potential victims and then cutting away. You then have 6 months to mentally prepare for the victim to be any one of them-thus you have 6 months to deal with it. Had it happened immediately, the shock of that scene would be immense. It's the biggest cliffhanger blunder I've ever seen.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Don't look AMC!

Its Daryl! It has to be, he is doing a movie, a show and now a game? It all fits, he doesn't have time for TWD anymore.
 
F

Fury451

Banned
None of this would happen if they just showed the ending choice.

See what you've done AMC? Look upon your works ye mighty and despair.
 
F

fauxtrot

Banned
Basically AMC is willing to hit them with a lawsuit they know wouldn't hold up in court just because they also know this is a group of fans that can't afford the legal costs associated with getting the case dropped. Fucking scummy as all hell.

Get fucked AMC, I hope people rebel and start posting the identity all over the fucking place so it blows up bigger than it ever would if they'd have just let it go.
 
V

VeryGooster

Banned
As said this will just get laughed out of court and it's a shit precedent. That said:

cMJQLo1.gif


God FUUUUUUUCK YOU for that season AND that finale.
 
L

LostMyNarbles

Member
Corpekata said:
I actually wouldn't doubt if his new show was a perk to keep him ON the show.
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As if he needs any perks. He was a no name actor before The Walking Dead and he'll be a no name actor once he's eventually off the show just like everybody else. I'm sure him and the rest of the cast are interested in staying as long as possible if not for the money, but the fame and following it gives them.
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
I love how this comes out something like two days after their oh-look-how-clever-we-are nonsense about shooting the season out of order to protect their precious spoiler. Some articles featured headlines about what a clever plan that was! Turns out they had a different plan for when their clever one predictably failed and that was to be absolute shits to some of their most loyal fans.

I guess it wasn't even two days since it appears this lawsuit was actually threatened yesterday.
 
E

Error404SwagNotFound

Member
This is complete shit, but I get why The Spoiling Dead doesn't want to fight it. Even if they would win, litigation costs time and money. Even if its something as trivial as this, AMC would cost them money along the way.

But AMC shouldn't be surprised. When rumors hit of a cliffhanger ending, EVERYONE said this would happen. It's impossible to keep something like that under wraps, they should have known better. Not the viewer's fault that they chose to go for a gimmick finale over proper storytelling.
 
C

Corpekata

Banned
LostMyNarbles said:
As if he needs any perks. He was a no name actor before The Walking Dead and he'll be a no name actor once he's eventually off the show just like everybody else. I'm sure him and the rest of the cast are interested in staying as long as possible if not for the money, but the fame and following it gives them.
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You might be surprised. There were some notable cast grumblings about pay a couple years ago, and many actors chafe in their long roles and popular characters leaving a show in a misguided shot at more fame isn't exactly uncommon. They often negotiate additional perks if they can't get the money they want. It's why you see many TV shows late in their seasons being directed by cast members.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
Corpekata said:
Man everything about that finale can just get fucked.
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seriously, they're thinking they'll get big veiwership for one more ep after either a) killing someone so minor no one really cared or b) someone so major there'll be a big dropoff either way, and one more ep's ratings will soften that blow?

it was a shit move, and this is the result of that
 
A

AntChum

Member
It's been telegraphed so hard these past two seasons, I'm not sure how AMC dare even argue that the character's identity is even a spoiler. If it is
GlennGlennGlenn
then they should invest their money not in lawsuits but in writers. If it isn't said person, then AMC should still invest money into better writers. The way this has been strung out is just mind-boggling.
 
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