This YouTuber Won't Stop Plagiarizing

[@CinemaStix]

So glad you’re coming forward publicly with this, when all else has failed. If there’s anything I can do, you have my complete support, always. -DB

[@dirrdevil]

I love your channel in addition to Like Stories of Old. Looks like Archer Green steals your video title format. ❤

[@CinemaStix]

@@dirrdevilYeah. But honestly, that’s nothing compared to what these are guys are having to deal with in terms of actual content and scripts (though Archer Green does have a video on Raiders that looks suspiciously like mine that I’m afraid to watch…)

[@9sheri9]

​@@CinemaStix Really great to see your input & level-headed response here! 💕 I'm a sub to your channel & appreciate your content.

[@kezia8027]

Honestly I was thinking of you throughout this vid with all the copyright claims you've been dealing with lately, and how that would compound so much more if someone was also plagiarizing your work and managing to get the same/better views...

[@Erichwanh]

... I replied a few hours ago but it was shadow deleted, so YT is acting up again for me. Good to see you CinemaStix, hope you're well.

[@robynmarler1951]

My Dad was an unsuccessful author, and he once found a whole page from one of his books in another book. It must have been soul destroying.

[@gluetubeserver]

Please link us your dad's work

[@Delta-ei7im]

link your dads work!

[@rubenskiii]

Where can i find your dad's work?

[@thareelhelloagain]

My brother had one of his mentors at the time's brother take the idea from a play he wrote and turned it into a best selling novel, without any acknowledgement or credit to my brother. My brother is currently in the process of finally suing him, lol, so yay.

[@hannehanskov7560]

the guy who has the channel about leon the lobster said in one of his videoes that he tried to make it as a scriptwriter in hollywood,but after a lot of rejections he saw several of his scenes turning up in movies with scripts by people he knew had read his scripts,that made him gve up and go home. I dont know him personally but he does not seem like somebody who would make stuff up to cause drame,hes very calm and down to earth,so i dont doubt these things happens and maybe a lot more than most of us realize . But on the positive side now,he does make if not movies,then at least videoes not just about leon, but he tells stories about the nature and mountains where he lives,and he is has a lot of interesting kowledge .

[@EbonKim]

I can't wait until Archer Green's next video, about a KZbinr that won't stop plagiarizing...

[@mykal4779]

that would be such a power play

[@ManGoatHamburger]

😂

[@KrispyKrunchee]

😂😂

[@_BeKind]

cant wait for the next archer green video, about how a KZbinr wont stop plagiarizing...

[@tatra-77]

@@_BeKind It took me a full three seconds, but then I genuinely laughed - out loud and everything. Cheers for that ☺

[@bennygerow]

Do not take this video down. There's always going to be another Archer Green, and it's important to have a historic reference.

[@anugrahashok2914]

Heyy😂😂 this is an underrated comment

[@terrydactyl2077]

Also if he fails he just try and make another account with an entirely new identity and link it to a family member so KZbin can’t take action etc. He’ll probably, if not already, resort to using ai to punch up scripts to not be so suspect. Which seems to be happening in droves on KZbin already with low effort ai scripted channels. He could also use an ai voiceover to mask his weaselly voice.

[@TheZigzagman]

The only genuine solution is to demand more quality as an audience. You know what every plagiarism example in this video has in common? The imitation is worse than the original every time. The voice over isn't as punchy or energetic, and the audio visual choices are derivative and uninteresting. Even the timing is sluggish in comparison.

[@NoriMori1992]

He can always put it up again if it becomes necessary, or make a new one that is more general.

[@CrowTRobot]

And after that hbomberguy video detailing similar situations, we know this happens far more often than we realize. (Also nicely put)

[@bmav007]

Thanks so much for letting us know about this! I was subscribed to him, but no longer. Plagiarism drives me CRAZY. Absolutely shameful. *Important Update: Archer Green has turned off comments on all his videos in response to a WATERFALL of people calling him out.

[@LuisSierra42]

I was as well. I had no idea this guy was such a POS

[@xMisterVx]

Should alert hbomberguy as well

[@jedgould5531]

This is what happens when you call it journalism but have no education.

[@steve.santiago]

Yes. Thank you. I too was subscribed but immediately unsubscribed. What a jerk!

[@stevensiferd7104]

@@jedgould5531 . . .or no editor who can kill your story if you step out-of-bounds and refuse to correct yourself.

[@manireik]

He's turned off comments on all his KZbin videos, deleted all his KZbin "posts," and deleted his Twitter account. So seems like his game plan is to let his plagiarism continue to make him money, without losing any more subscribers who can't be warned now. So, unfortunately, "redemption arc" is clearly not in the cards--and despite your gentle and commendable kindness, I'd say ethically it's time to directly involve KZbin to have him removed, or barring that, initiate legal action.

[@elzonn]

Nah report this dude, Enough people will get eyes on how bad it is. I cant belive he's copyied line for line like nobody would notice. Insane

[@nunouno001]

Reporting him is the only real practical option. Taking this to court would take more money than the average KZbinr makes in a year.

[@Heersbeer]

@@nunouno001 Just reported him, seems like the only thing we can do

[@whiporwilllooms9075]

@@Heersbeer How do I report his content ?

[@Heersbeer]

@@whiporwilllooms9075 Just go to his channel and find the "Report user" button and go ;-)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks for fighting the good fight against plagiarism! Sorry you had to make this video.

[@dwc1964]

it seems like all the good KZbinrs are in community with each other, while thieves practice their plundering on their own; perhaps it makes it easier to treat their victims as faceless entities rather than fellow humans

[@gooner9038]

It's kind of astonishing. He's posted an update on his channel, once again apologizing for the theft, promising to "do better", but how many times can the boy cry wolf before he gets eaten?

[@bwa_8]

His videos made with stolen content and plagiarism are still up, still earning money. So he doesn't care. And in response to his apology, there are already several comments like: it takes courage to acknowledge when you messed up, etc... So his followers don't really care either. Disgusting.

[@samnam-ym7jh]

@@bwa_8im pretty sure his is purging the negative comments

[@zippolighter4903]

@@samnam-ym7jhHe definitely is

[@horusreloaded6387]

"I used some observations" lmao it is a terrible apology

[@patrickweyland-smith1023]

An apology without action is no apology. It is regret for being found out.

[@laffyman8218]

I’m starting to think this Archer Green guy may not even watch movies.

[@Accountnamehere1968]

Archer Green to me looks like the kind of guy that claims to be a movie buff but has seen up to 7 movies that came out before Jaws.

[@Will140f]

He just watches movie reviews

[@smithjedediah]

@@Accountnamehere1968 More like haven't seen any movies from before 1994

[@Accountnamehere1968]

@@smithjedediah As much as I would like to make that statement, it feels too hyperbolic when Jurassic Park and the Star Wars trilogy exist.

[@MrDeelightful]

A big thing I noticed between the originals and his recreations is how much more engaged and excited most of the original authors/narrators sounded. Archer Green just sounds bored through most of his narration

[@daniel_netzel]

Man, this is just depressing, naturally his videos almost always have more views for some reason *sigh*. Thank you for making this Tom and bringing this to light.

[@SuaveMonkey480]

Guess when you can make videos in one week that took someone else weeks or months to research it pays off

[@KennethLyVideography]

Scrolling through his videos quickly his "Title game" is really on point. This guy knows how to write catchy, algorithm friendly and click attractive titles. This guy knows what he's doing. I bet he's more of an online marketing guy rather then an academic.

[@lnrdo]

@@KennethLyVideography Agreed. I've seen guys like that exploit a community and enrich themselves through it without caring one bit about the actual art the community cares about. And yet because of their grift, they often still get treated as "experts". It's absolutely unfair and infuriating.

[@KennethLyVideography]

@@lnrdo In my field of work I run into alot of people like that. The scariest thing is that honestly don't think much of it. The primary pleasure they get out of this is feeling like a Social Media whiz and feeling like a marketing expert. IMO, It's like a game for these people.

[@lnrdo]

@@KennethLyVideography I know exactly the type. The kinds of folks who take The Wolf of Wall Street and The Social Network as instructional guides and either miss or willfully ignore the satirical and critical angles 😂 It gets really bad when they achieve enough success to scale up the operation (because, of course, it's always about "scaling" rather than broadly sharing ideas 🙄) and their unethical practices are, in their minds, justified. Which in turn breeds impressionable young wannabes who end up doing the same. 😩 Edit: I know because I was fooled into thinking I wanted to be like that when I was younger. It led me into a really empty, meaningless depression.

[@BrendanLorenzo]

Thank you for alerting us. I just unsubscribed from him.

[@elucified]

Same!

[@arlen_95]

Same!

[@jonnyt9221]

@BrendanLorenzo I was just about to send this to you when I saw your comment haha. Glad your videos are your own ideas! They're great!

[@ayannag4760]

Same!

[@Raymando]

love how the one thing common about these plagiarists is that they always make the writing worse 😭

[@flipthaascript]

holy shit. now hearing archer's delivery, it sounds so lifeless, night and day from the originals

[@marknelson55]

And most of the plagiarized sections after rewording them - with the goal presumably of concealment - eliminated evocative vocabulary and poetic flow from the original words.

[@neologicspasm]

He's turned off comments on all his videos. Not only does he steal, he also refuses to face his actions.

[@darkesttimeline7026]

He even gave him a fair and non public warning, then he goes on to ignore it anyways

[@mark-ish]

He probably expected it he's just milking it until it's taken away from him.

[@Absquatulationist]

and now he's turned all comments off on his channel. Does he think hiding will help him?

[@michaelkramer1821]

The maturity and compassion of this video are impressive. Instead of calling for an end to this guy’s channel, you’ve done your best to show him (and others like him) the correct path forward, even going so far as to compliment him for the original work he’s done. You sir are a class act.

[@elodinglasan2283]

Was looking for a comment just like this! Hard agree.

[@bwa_8]

I agree, but that's also why the guy kept on doing it, and doesn't really care. If the people being stolen from still give the guy the benefit of the doubt when there's no doubt left, why should the Archer guy care... Now his audience is gonna give him a second chance, and in a few months, it's gonna be like nothing happened.

[@fgoindarkg]

You don't discourage a thief by inviting him in to dinner. Now he knows he's found an easy meal ticket.

[@bwa_8]

@@fgoindarkg Well said

[@mykhalable9433]

"plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery until it takes revenue from an awesome content creator." - Abraham Lincoln

[@angelsunemtoledocabllero5801]

"Plagiarism is the homage that mediocrity pays to genius"-Oscar Wilde

[@Elephantnegotiationsociety]

I remember that speech!

[@AFilmaciones]

Hey!!! That's MY quote!! 😂😂😂

[@HeatherHolt]

I think it ended with “No cap.”

[@Nino1Piece3]

"plagiarism is gay." - Mark Twain

[@r3lativ]

Also interesting that if you click "report this user", plagiarism is not one of the possible problems to report.

[@thubakabra]

Unfortunately, it is a very difficult case to investigate by youtube. I think the legal way is the only way to stop this guy for sure by suing him for using others' intellectual property commercially.

[@redmed10]

KZbin realises its built on plagiarism. They give you the tools to do it.

[@jezusghoti]

@@thubakabra zero chance of winning any lawsuit based on the level of plagiarism in this video

[@spyczech]

Why should they? All art is derivative you'd get people flooding reports with edge cases coincidences where people have had same thought, because it's a good one

[@r3lativ]

@@thubakabra that's a very good point

[@darkesttimeline7026]

Just reported him for plagiarism, dude is a hack

[@trevorpearlharbor5171]

Where can I go to report him for plagarism? I couldn't find it in the list of reasons...

[@lolitabubbles26]

@@trevorpearlharbor5171 I believe using "other" and adding an explanation may work.

[@DeadpanMusicman]

Neither could I, what was it under?

[@darkesttimeline7026]

Reported him as copying another’s identity then left a comment for plagiarism

[@louiea4276]

I think it can be reported under KZbin's copyright rules

[@rtaraquin]

I KNEW something was off about this channel! Every time I was recommended one of his videos I always had the feeling that I've seen this exact video before.

[@mjjjermaine]

Zoe Bee’s video on plagiarism and the standard we need to begin setting as KZbinrs was super enlightening on *why* plagiarism happens and why treating an example of plagiarism as “drama” doesn’t fix the issue, which is why I really commend the way you handled this. I’m sorry this happened to you!

[@JaydevRaol]

Agree! Also, I just recently discovered Zoe's channel and her channel is great. So, thanks for mentioning her.

[@tanysfoster2819]

Plagiarism is never an accident. I've been following your channel for years and you have my full support. Hopefully you're able to resolve this without too much blowback.

[@thecozykinoshow]

watching this felt like that one really cool teacher having to tell a kid off for taking it too far. props for being so articulate, yet again.

[@FirstClassEntertainment-um9ip]

of COURSE he turned off his comments...

[@vins1979]

He turned off the comments on all his videos! What a clown!!!!!

[@Crono2077]

It's never a one time mistake, ever. Only consequences change these kind of people, unfortunately hardly ever there are any.

[@BoarhideGaming]

This is the exact truth. People make mistakes, but plagiarism isn’t a mistake. It’s not a slip-up, not an “oopsie”. It’s a deliberate act, and it’s always a surefire sign of a deeply flawed, deeply dishonest personality.

[@Exigentable]

@@BoarhideGaming Plagarists do it because they think they will never be caught. They usually aren't. This is blatant plagarism too. Truly disgusting behavior.

[@blodpudding]

Without knowing who he is it is impossible to tell. But if this is just some kid who happened to slip on a banana peel and land a couple million views, he might indeed just not know how to analyze film, he might not even have watched all the movies he references! Now he basically has to do an entire semesters work of a film studies program in a weeks time to put out a video, and I don't know about you - Even after I learned all the things you're "supposed to know" it's still a hell of a lot of work to write something that is worth reading/listening to. Not that it excuses plagiarism, just food for thought. It's the double-edged sword of a platform like KZbin, yes anyone can make it but there's no one around who will tell you that you probably shouldn't. The algorithm gods work in mysterious ways.

[@cmoran9103]

​@@blodpuddinghi, you're being really naive.

[@storytellers1]

Great video Tom, his first mistake was thinking we don't all talk to eachother inside our Discord community I guess. I've long believed the video essay niche does not need rigorous academic citation system like MLA or Chicaco Style. However putting a link in the description when copying entire sentences is simply not enough. If you copy (or paraphrase) a sentence or a core idea, just put in the script 'as (insert other creator) mentions in his video (insert video title) and then either repeat the sentence or insert the clip. Combining different ideas and building on top of it is much more fun than ripping of other creators anyway. You can argue why you agree, disagree or offer a different perspective, while shouting out another creator. Writing an original essay takes a lot of time however.

[@soSkikik]

This must be so frustratig. When you put so much energy and heart into a essay and then someone just copies it not giving any credit.

[@Xanderall]

And is more succesful than you

[@taylor_brownie]

I don’t think crediting would really help that much as it’s still presented as their own

[@soSkikik]

@@taylor_brownie didn't say it would make everything fine. I'm just saying they didn't even bother to put the bare minimum "a simple credit" there. It's not the solution obviously. But that's the absolute bare minimum thing one can do.

[@taylor_brownie]

@@soSkikik okay, my bad.

[@Blackdiamondprod.]

It happens with movie scripts too. Studios don’t want to buy somebody’s script, so they’ll just write one that’s different enough, and they get away with it.

[@joshualeventhal]

Man, y’all have the kindest good-faith interpretation of the situation haha. Appreciate you all the more for it. But the dude has this level of competency in video making, I struggle to believe he can’t understand these implications-ESPECIALLY after you’ve gently confronted him multiple times. But you’ve 100% taken the right posture. And I completely agree about the ai concerns-it needs to face regulation. So unfair to all creators.

[@codenameicarus]

As a journalist and author who does not produce KZbin videos, I have often found it frustrating when KZbinrs take my work that I have in some cases spent years on, and represent it as their own work, with just a link in the description (or sometimes not even that), but no acknowledgement in the video itself. I know many other writers who have suffered from this novel form of plagiarism-that of KZbinrs turning a book that took enormous time and effort to write into an instant video. But there seems nothing that can be done about it, as it isn’t illegal per se, just profoundly dishonest. I’m somewhat sympathetic to the idea that some of these plagiarists will just not have had any academic experience and so just don’t know that what they are doing is wrong. KZbin and other platforms must do a better job of not just policing plagiarism but also of educating creators-and viewers-about the problem. But at the same time, we all learn in *elementary* school about plagiarism, not just at university. And more importantly, the *reason* that plagiarism is wrong is not due to some arcane academic set of rules, but because it is fundamentally an act both of dishonesty and of theft. Those rules only formalize in an academic setting what every moral person already knows, and knows instinctively. You don’t need to go to university to learn that lying and stealing are wrong.

[@lolitabubbles26]

I honestly can't imagine how that must feel. After watching HBomber's video on the matter earlier this year I had no idea just how shameless these "creators" are. Not even adding a footnote or proper accreditation is blatant disregard for how this space is meant to work (legal stuff not withstanding). I just left the industry after not being able to make living in LA work, so I'm reorienting myself to start creating custom TTRPG campaigns. My greatest fear is plagiarism. It isn't just the Wild West out here, this has become a space where everyone needs an entertainment lawyer.

[@Hartley_Hare]

I also used to be a journalist and, about twenty years ago, I sent a list of five feature ideas to a well-known British broadsheet newspaper. Some days later, I got a curt rejection and, a few days after that I saw the first of three stories written by other, better-known writers. It grinds my gears.

[@codenameicarus]

@@Hartley_Hare Yes, that does happen. It’s never happened to me, but I know people to whom it has happened. That’s seriously lousy for freelancers, whose pay is ever deteriorating and precarity ever increasing.

[@WillN2Go1]

That's why the copyright law exists. And yeah most of the KZbinrs aren't making that much money. I wonder if a class action against KZbin is possible for facilitating this? As a photographer people used my work without permission all the time. One time it was in a couple of calendars. My beef was that the impression created was that someone else made my photographs. I sued in Small Claims asked for $1200. Got a check in the mail for $1200. Another time a guy owed me $3300. Our arrangement was very loose, but he did have to pay for film, lab and expenses. He tried to ignore me. So I copyrighted all the work, sent an invoice for $11,000 (including time and retail prices for all the film), included the line All work is copyrighted.... . Got a call from a very good lawyer. He gave me some low ball offer. I didn't even respond to it. All I said was, "I've dealt with a lot of deadbeats, so you know this is a trap. Just make sure X doesn't use any of the photos." Got the full amount. File a copyright, in your country, but especially in the U.S. As soon as you file, your work has extra protection. $50,000 per unauthorized use. Copyright lawyers know immediately if this will apply, and if it does, they know they can win in court, but also that they won't have to go to court. 'Per unauthorized use'? can have a broad meaning. A single video made from your work could have $500,000 in potential damages, beyond the monetary damages. Of course if they're someplace like Russia, don't bother. Here's a tip. A lot of KZbin are Wikipedia articles with a lot of boring stuff to make them longer. So 'A Family's Fatal Encounter'? Of course it starts out with, "The Bearmeal family of Spokane, Washington was completely average. John Bearmeal was the son of an Army clerk and ..... snorrrre As soon as you know the name of that family, google it or go to Wikipedia. You will quickly learn, "The Bearmeal family was attacked in Madeup National Park because Mrs Bearmeal cooked a chocolate cake in their RV. Everyone was mauled to death except..... " One minute, saved you 20 minutes of hearing about where the Bearmeals went to high school. And you really only had about a minute's interest anyway.

[@WillN2Go1]

@@Hartley_Hare Always send an invoice. 'But maybe they won't hire me in the future... ' Deadbeats are deadbeats and will always be deadbeats. In business it matters more if they respect you than if they like you. Only an idiot wouldn't rather work with someone who can come up with fresh material. A lot of us, me especially, if we stand our ground and make a demand, end up just pissing them off. So here's what I learned too late. Make a note of the people in your life who are really good at asserting themselves without burning bridges. Ask them how would they handle it. Write a script and stick to it. Many times treating it as though it was just an oversight on their part.... dangle that you have five more pieces you're working on and ten more after those. In one case I couldn't understand why some very nice prints I'd donated to a library never resulted in a thank you note. The guy who'd opened the package stole them. The people in charge never knew.

[@jacobcrawshaw9461]

5:48 this is the most pleasing shot of the whole composition. How two guys into cinema set up their zoom squares

[@xensonar9652]

He clearly doesn't care about getting caught and his apology was obviously insincere.

[@Eamonshort1]

He apologised? He must have taken it down or unlisted it as its not on his channel page now

[@xensonar9652]

@@Eamonshort1 He apologised to Like Stories of Old in the email exchange, then carried on stealing stuff. .

[@craigturpin1731]

@@Eamonshort1 The "apology" is under the Community tab of his channel page. If he was really sorry, he'd take the videos down.

[@ThoughtWord]

It's important for people to realize that fully giving credit where credit is due for ideas doesn't make your content less original, it makes it more credible and, ultimately, helps you better understand your own thinking. As a high school English teacher who also enjoys making video essays for my KZbin channel, I see this issue on both sides: a lack of awareness and/or knowledge regarding proper citation amongst amateur writers and the vagueness of online discourse and commentary (especially in video format). But at the end of the day, intellectual integrity matters.

[@johnb528]

You and those you interviewed are handling this way more maturely than I probably would.

[@LAK_770]

Discarded Image took the words out of my mouth - it's honestly baffling that people do this so flagrantly so out in the open. I severely doubt that it's innocent, especially when we're talking about exact editing choices and clip selections being lifted. This is a savvy, successful creator knowingly and willfully plagiarizing with the expectation that he would get away with it. It's not some kid or new creator who ignorantly copied a couple distinct comments they liked.

[@TonySite-n2y]

I think the best way of referencing used material is what CinemaTyler does: citation at the bottom of the screen for every word used and every picture or video shown. Absolute transparency.

[@Ruylopez778]

CinemaTyler's channel is like a gold standard of how to document a production, and he even stresses corrections in subsequent videos. Some of the absolute best content on KZbin IMO.

[@Katy133]

Thank you for the heads up! Ever since finding out about James Somerton, I've tried to be vigilant with spotting video essay plagiarists.

[@mariaassunta7237]

Suitably, I've never heard of him.

[@FloydTaylor]

I called this Archer Green channel out for ripping off the Discarded Image's script on a Tarantino video on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I went as far as sub-commenting over a dozen people on the video that it was plagiarism. I immediately picked up on the unique prose. They have since turned off the comments on the video. The sad thing is that the video has since had 1.4 million views.

[@HPLaserbeam]

That guy came into my recommendations and I was so confused because his video titles felt like CinemaStix titles and when I saw his Raiders of the Lost Ark title I was like "did I not watch a CinemaStix video about this exact thing...?" I'm glad to know I wasn't crazy.

[@krissuyx]

Why the hell can I not report KZbinrs for plagiarism?! This site, man...

[@juliasmith960]

You have a very generous spirit. After having his plagiarism pointed out to him by three different creators and not stopping, I think this guy knows what he is doing.

[@thomascarmichael6659]

This is so weird, plagiarists usually target small unknown writers, this guy is ripping off the biggest film theory youtubers out there, how did he think he was getting away with this?

[@crxiqz]

100k subs and 15million views means he did get away with it, made thousands of € at the least

[@thomascarmichael6659]

@@crxiqz For a period of time yes, but to do it at all meant he thought he could get away with it forever, which was never going to happen stealing this obviously. Like James Somerton at least had the sense to steal from people no one outside the world of queer academia had ever heard of, and he still got caught in the end.

[@tonywords6713]

Hilariously enough there was a small/medium sized channel that put out a Fallout New Vegas video that straight up stole whole lines VERBATIM from Hbombrrguys fallout video lol. I was like bro do you have any idea who youre fucking with rn?

[@ahaskarkarde4163]

I was so sure as I kept recognizing a pattern after watching his videos, like the dialogues he uses and especially how clearly he copied the title style and thumbnails from cinemastix. Thanks for finally calling out this disrespectful act.

[@lexthanexpected]

I love when KZbin’s expose others plagiarism. Good work and don’t feel bad especially after calling him out privately, dude deserves to get exposed.

[@lexthanexpected]

I will say though, acting like someone could get through life without understanding the basics of plagiarism seems generous. Literally all high school educations teach you this, not for KZbin but everyone gets the plagiarism is bad and learn how to write in your own way and reference lessons is most public educations.

[@Denver0054]

Thanks for letting us know. I watched some of his videos and thought about subscribing to him. What a bastard!

[@jessicap9491]

as someone whose pretty familiar with ethics and proper citation guidelines, it is so frustrating to see someone continue to plagiarize and potentially suppress the original content it came from. Thank you for spreading awareness.

[@Letgo1812]

Recently subscribed to his channel. Just unsubscribed to his channel -though I never watched any his content. Keep your channel. Content is great. Reminds me of my days in film school.

[@maesolug7380]

"I'm not sure if Archer Green is just deliberately targeting our little friends group or if that's just an unfortunate coincidence on his part" I really like how this is put. At first you see it as just a simple statement, but it really sounds like an imposing truth, that the biggest movie essayist are friends who went to each other's weddings so they notice when this happens What an unfortunate coincidence indeed But yeah, we're all thankful the guy is not going into full James Somerton mode, we really don't need another one of those

[@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks]

as HBomberguy put it: plagiarism isn't respect, because people plagiarize who they think they can get away with plagiarizing

[@Burgertime1999]

He probably targets all of the successful people in this niche so even with an entirely different friend group in this world, this would still be the case.

[@4KArchives]

Thanks for informing us. It is important that you made this film. I have followed your channel for a long time and I appreciate your work very much. We've got your back buddy.

[@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY]

I’m seeing a connection here, with regard to sources and crediting, being the biggest issue in the battle against misinformation and fake news. I don’t ever want to be all ‘kids these days grr’, but there does seem to be a shift away from a desire to be legitimately informed. I did a looot of learning about crediting and sources in a documentary and journalism module at uni when I was studying photography, and wondered if that had swayed my need to keep everything legit, but I also remember being fortunate enough to have been taught and using the basics of referencing systems when I was 15 at school. We need to get this into all schools: how to check a source, and then check that that that source is reliable, as well as the importance of integrity, over money, cars and the ‘grind mindset’.

[@sonicx764]

Man didn't expect that video from hbomberguy to get a sequel so soon

[@cfv7461]

bruv it got like three sequels and a spin off the same WEEK

[@SvobodovaEva]

⁠@@cfv7461There’s more?

[@OrgaNik_Music]

And it's still just the tip of the iceberg.This sort of thing is all over youtube.

[@cynicalip]

@@cfv7461 Let's not forget the companion release of Todd

[@Mooooi]

You guys are so kind and patient... how unfair this is, and how polite you are about it!

[@vincenttavani6380]

I admire you sharing this as a teaching moment, both to him about calling him in from the way of plagiarism and to the audience about the way of mercy.

[@FilmSpeak]

Always had a bad feeling about this guy...just from looking at his video titles, thumbnails, and topics...it became very clear what he was doing. Thank you for making this video and coming forward with your experience. So sorry this happened to you, Thomas, and I'm sure a bunch of other creators. I've been there before...it sucks.

[@ComicXanz]

W FilmSpeak

[@Andrefederighi30]

When I saw the thumb, I thought it would be subtle, but it is textbook plagiarism

[@koenverhelst2562]

Your restraint is admirable - 100% sympethize!

[@kayceee6770]

Plagiarism only shows that you have no ideas of your own, commentary gives opportunity to what you actually think, how you interpret a story in the case of film essays. It's always interesting to see what people decide to carbon copy when the same thing is then easily found. There's a Litany of KZbin copycats- it's sad they choose this option and they will only ever get caught once they've get big enough which then they attempt to pivot but do not have the capacity to be original or have their own thoughts

[@OsX86H3AvY]

hes doing what he was told to do in a get rich quick masterclass, guarantee it....he paid $39.95 to learn how to copy....it's pretty pathetic

[@Ryzard]

This is the natural consequence of teaching kids (including me) that plagurism is just not changing words - that you can copy things, you just need to reword them - to avoid plagiarism.

[@Barefoot-Jaycee]

Thanks for the heads up. Just reported his account. If enough people cause a fuss, he'll get blocked.

[@JoshHarrisPhotography]

This is so infuriating and I’m glad you made us aware. FWIW, I’ve seen most of the videos of yours and others you’ve shown, but never seen Archer’s. What a joke.

[@NoerLuin]

Sad to see stuff like this happen.

[@frankv.9525]

As a fan of your work for many years, it's heartbreaking to see another hack straight up steal your wonderful commentary and insight, as well as those of your peers. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and for shining a light on this matter.

[@thesolipsistcinema]

I’ve seen that he’s one of the channels that has copied the title and thumbnail format from Cinemastix (which I mean, some overlap will happen with thumbnails and titles occasionally but it’s his whole brand now) so that’s a shame the content isn’t fully original either. That new vague style of branding has been getting an insane amount of views recently.

[@JaydevRaol]

Thanks, I was just about to comment on that. This guy seems to be a total hack.I noticed two other channels with similar titles and thumbnail styles to CinemaStrix. After checking who started posting first, it was clear that CS was the original and most successful. It's a shame that these copycats have diluted his brand.

[@realericanderson]

Honestly I stopped watching cinema stix just because the thumbnails really turn me off

[@TheOtherMwalimu]

people are looking for easy income, not a way of sharing knowledge and skills and being creative

[@ApexPredator644]

​@@realericanderson also the constant changing thumbnails

[@Linkzcap]

Why do people do this? Is it for ad revenue? Fame? To feel more "intellectual"? The consequences are never worth it. This is a sad day

[@moaningpheromones]

Human nature. Will always be a few turds doing this BS.

[@nickochioneantony9288]

he is been doing this for years, and strangely, the consequences are worth it. He is already reaping profit from the algorithm, so if his channel is taken down, he can just create another one with a complete different set of tone taken from another youtuber that might not related with movies at all. This is why AI is getting popularism, they can help any 'content creator' to create any editing / script faster... credits are just not relevant in the uprising of AI content. People don't need to feel more intellectual or be recognized, they just need their profit.

[@AlexisBii]

@@nickochioneantony9288this is absolutely correct, unfortunately

[@crxiqz]

yeah ad revenue

[@Samouraii]

When people become reliant on their content for income they become desperate to produce content as fast as they can. If they run out of ideas they will try anything to get a video out.

[@marshmallowpeeps241]

I'm so sorry that this happened. No one can do majestic work, like you! ❤

[@merzbau]

That's really despicable behaviour. So low.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

They ALWAYS make the same excuses, and usually play dumb. I’m sorry, but plagiarism is covered at length in your highschool English and science courses. Basically anything where you write a paper. Then it is covered AGAIN and repeatedly in college, grad school…..on and on. Its always okay to share the same idea. In fact, sharing the ideas of others that you agree with only strengthens your own writing. You MUST share the reference though, or just completely share the clip from the other channel, mentioning the original creator with a link in the description. It is NEVER okay to share the same words+idea and say nothing about where you got it from. There is no planet where that makes sense to anyone older than 13. LSOO, I really enjoy your channel. I think you’re very talented. I’m grateful to live in a world where I’m not limited to only a Siskel & Ebert type of film analysis. That is all that I had growing up. Please keep doing what you do, and I thank you.

[@duckartlife]

I'm so sorry you had to resort to making this video, but ultimately glad you did. Your level of diplomacy and maturity regarding this issue is truly admirable and I don't think I'm alone when I say this kind of example actually helps me to be an overall better person in general.

[@richardmaier28]

As a 72 yo I just call it stealing, I've seen people lose scholarships, PhD or ScD name it especially bc that's my field but alas I'm retired now, I'll get you a bunch of retired fizzlecists to debate his sorry ass,heck I'd dm Nolan,us salty olt timers take this seriously.

[@lolitabubbles26]

I just had to exit the industry due to finances. In film school (graduated 2022) we were hammered with the knowledge that we need entertainment lawyers now. We were safe in film school because the uni protected us. You are also protected later by the guild. But until then... you need to get your copyright ducks in a row. But in these spaces the rules and oversight are so lax these creators have no protection. The mob mentality helps. HBomer's video really had long lasting affects on his plagiarist. But it was because it's HBOMBER. Small creators. Medium creators. Kids developing their thesis in school. Scholars. Hell 20-30 year old scholarship. No one is safe.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

I've always thought of it as stealing, too. I've had my work in my field plagiarized and it's infuriating. It's basically someone going, "I don't respect the professor enough to try or the person I'm stealing from enough to not rob."

[@SojournistActual]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Happy to say I was unaware of him, and will continue to ignore his existence on KZbin.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

There's a phrase in my dad's home country: "Is the fire you started burning you?" This man was given multiple chances to stop, to change his behavior, to stop without any public drama, and to continue his career. I don't consider this a call-out, I consider this a public service announcement that this dude will do this, because I 100% expect him to keep stealing other people's writing for the rest of his life.

[@mikebasil4832]

I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. The things that some people think that they can get away with are quite unsettling.

[@MrHousey36]

All comments now turned off on his 'content'. Plagiarism is wrong on so many levels, it's disrespectful to the original creator, to the viewer, and even to the films themselves. If Archer really cared about film, maybe he would have one original idea. Clearly his channel is a grift to make money and does not come from a place of love, compassion or respect. Thanks for bringing this issue to light.

[@catschall9750]

I'm really sorry this happened to you. Some people try to justify this behavior by saying that the basic facts are the same no matter what (like this scene just IS a 90-second unbroken one-take, this type of character development IS the most effective) and thus it shouldn't matter that they use the same wording, but that doesn't take into account how much effort and passion goes into how you convey ideas to your audience. It's so creatively bankrupt, I can't comprehend why anyone would make videos like that. You should have an idea you want to share with people, work on the best way to convey your thoughts and ideas through language and visuals, and then share it with your audience. If he just totally agreed with your videos that you already made, why not just share it on a community post and say "check out this video! it's great!"

[@johndavidlevy7]

I am really glad this was addressed. Thank you for putting it out there. There has been some confusion of viewers parts as well. There was a point in time when someone mentioned to me that they thought there was one script everyone was working off of. Happy to know that is not the case while sad to know its a bonkers ass case of plagiarism.

[@cobrachicken07]

Standing up for oneself as a learning exercise? Awesome!

[@Emm1738]

The amount of grace and mercy that you are all showing to this person is incredibly inspirational and impressive. May the world become more like you and may Archer Green take this as a wake up call that he has a lot to learn about how to properly cite sources and write his own ideas. May he do better and may you all be made whole, if his actions caused you any loss.

[@BerlinTrainStation1]

It's so sad that KZbin seems to be filling up with plagiarism and AI created content. It really makes you appreciate the creators who do pour their sweat and time into these works.

[@vk-fb4ox]

I hope this video is going to reach as many people as possible. It is crazy that KZbin won't do anything about people like that.

[@emanueli3858]

I wasn’t sure if it was just me noticing this. Most of the channels brought up, or in the comments are channels I’ve watched or subscribed to for years! I’ve seen your videos multiple times for studying filmmaking or just cause I appreciate your content. It was just about several weeks ago I noticed Archer Green’s videos showing up on an auto play that I could’ve sworn I heard some of the same lines being read. Threw me off for a while. This all but confirms that suspicion.

[@darrenbell71]

Level-headed discussion with nuance and maturity....rare but so appreciated. :) I wish all you guys the best.

[@forgottenheritage2845]

I had issues with someone in 2020 who was doing this exact thing to me and another local photographer. The real shock of it all was that he weaponised his own fanbase, convincing them that the plagiarism was entirely against him and we were the perpetrators. What followed was a 14 months of threatening emails and messages from his fans, public online shaming campaigns and threats against my property. Toward the end I had the police involved who reviewed all the evidence I had collected and confirmed it was a clear case of online harassment. He was on the autistic spectrum and when it came down to it, people aware of what had been going on persuaded me not to prosecute him, even the police recommended mercy seeing as he was classed as a vulnerable adult. So I let it slide. Sadly despite him leaving me alone he still behaves this way toward others. I regret not teaching him a legal lesson at the time. I guess what I am saying is, you may be saving others from suffering the same if you prosecute him.

[@jackpijjin4088]

What's pathetic about this is that it was perfectly possible to CHECK YOUR DATES VS. HIS. But for some reason, "loyalty" can trump even the most blatant factual evidence.

[@fromthescreen123]

I’ve been watching this guy for awhile, wow I had no idea, I’ll deffs be unsubbing from him. Thank for taking the time to make this video and expose him 🙌🏽

[@almostatami]

No, Archer doesn't deserve to be dragged through the streets but stealing is stealing so whatever comes his way, dude has no one to blame but himself.

[@nickochioneantony9288]

he is numb of the consequences. I mean, ripping off 3 creators' essay from time to time... he even dare to say 'sorry' as a gateway to plagiarize further. A person like that is just emotionally dead, it's what I like to call a man with a heart of stone.

[@jordondodd4427]

My favorite part is how, in his post on his channel about the situation, he says that he holds no ill will towards anyone bringing this to light as though that's something he may be justified in feeling.

[@aidomiya3401]

I am genuinely sorry this has happened to you. You have a forgiving and thoughtful perspective on the issue and that’s extremely kind! The problem with people who plagiarize is that they aren’t interested in an open dialogue or politeness, they want money and influence for free. I don’t want to harass this guy, but I will never watch his videos because of the simple fact he will always take the easy way out

[@MoxieMcMurder]

Well, that's me unsubscribed from Archer Green. Thanks for the heads up, I had no idea!

[@axcelc5204]

You don’t mess with Like Stories of Old 😤 Thanks for the info sucks I thought I found a new film essayist/analyst I could add to my rotation :(

[@verandisoldusty6834]

Thanks for this video & gutted that it was necessary. I'd luckily never heard of this lazy & disrespectful Archer guy but will definitely avoid him. It's refreshing & just proves what a decent KZbin creator and human being you are how you have chosen to handle this.

[@KateeAngel]

I have seen a bunch of channels who do it in other languages and their audience is mostly unaware cause they don't watch videos in English which were plagiarised. I don't know what goes through people's heads when they plagiarise something in the same language. It is so easy to find out!

[@developingtank]

Your ability to articulate what is and is not plagiarism and take the high road on this situation is wonderful. You, Thomas Flight, and CineStix have incredibly solid videos that I think a lot of film buffs (myself included) would like to get on the level of and I have no idea how you come up with many of your concepts to begin with. Personally, I try to avoid watching any videos on similar topics that I want to cover for fear of having other's ideas influence my own or at times avoid topics that have been covered at nauseam in an effort to keep from this kind of thing happening intentionally or not.

[@WelfareChrist]

It’s insane KZbin as a company essentially has zero interest in doing anything about this. I hope they get chased off the platform.

[@nedbilow9519]

Hope justice is going to be delivered. You have my support.

[@diegowushu]

There are tutorials out there that teach people to do exactly this, grab popular videos and copy them altering them slightly. It's not a kid or someone who didn't realize, they know exactly what they're doing.

[@bluenightfury]

This is the most compassionate call out video I've ever seen

[@Dwarvenelf]

My favorite video essayist, sideways, was plagiarized off the platform, he was also just depressed because of all the plagiarism he witnessed while he put so much effort into his essays. Because why spend weeks making a video of it is going to be copied and ripped off

[@JaydevRaol]

Damn, I wasn't aware of that. I thought they might be taking a break or something. That's terrible. 🥲

[@channe11-manager]

Thanks for this. I'm new to content creation, but my policy from the outset has been to credit anything I am consciously aware of that was not something I landed on independently, and is specific enough to demand citation. For example, at this point, no one really needs to cite Freud to use the word "ego" - it's common enough now - but if you lift a sentence or two from the "Interpretation of Dreams", you're stealing. Also, citation doesn't undermine the person doing the citing, it tells the world that you're an adult, and has the added benefit of offsetting your unique ideas from borrowed ones, allowing your audience to appreciate your ideas at "greater relief" - a term I heard George Carlin use once, which I'm giving him credit for here (and that's just two words). Here are two more to you, LSOO: thanks again.

[@Will140f]

I remember seeing the thumbnail for the Coen Brothers video and thinking “I swear I’ve already seen this but YT shows I haven’t watched it.” But I didn’t because I knew I’d already seen it. Now I’m realizing, I had seen Thomas Flight’s video.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

0:45 his content looks so sterile too.. no effort into the titles, the thumbnails, disgusting.

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

I don't even understand why people do this. Why would you want to steal from others instead of using your own creativity and your own thoughts and ideas? What do you expect to get out of it? Do you think that you will get away with it, especially when ripping from such popular KZbin channels? How do you not feel dirty? You're not even getting that sense of satisfaction or pride from creating something completely from your own mind. It really doesn't make any sense to me. So sorry to hear that you're going through this. ❤

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

A lack of true passion and desire to make money from views, just a lazy way to make money basically. It's clearly not motivated out of a desire to say something.

[@pawacoteng]

Coming up with an original idea, even to just criticize other's works, is hard. I struggle just to write original arguments in the youtube comments only to despair when someone already said my idea better than I could before me.