Warrior Cats is not taking down your MAP project

but it is taking down your fully animated Crookedstar's Promise movie

[@Moonkitti]

Sorry, when I reference "Warrior Cats Animated" in this video I wasn't referring to Bok Bok Choy's series, but instead the more serious production under the same name. Bok Bok Choy's series is Parody, WCAnimated is not.

[@8_sxgar_8]

Hi

[@CherryblossomFoxx]

Is this harmful to Sunnyfall's Remake, "Paws of Stars" and also the Audiobook?

[@voryndagoth404]

i really hope bok bok choy's series isn't taken down because it's *technically* an adaptation of a full book that can be watched chronologically, but it's heavily edited and is most likely viewed as nothing but parody, since it's so far removed from it, 's source. but the wording does allow room for interpretation. i don't think they'll remove the series, but now i'm curious if they'll at least ask them to change the name from 'warrior cats animated' to something that reflects the parody aspect so it's not seen as competition with any official warrior cats animations that may come out.

[@inkylynx2777]

@@CherryblossomFoxx Potentially, as it's trademark infringement and also an improved recreation of Po3 and OotS. Why buy twelve okay at best or bad at worst books that don't go anywhere when someone has made seven free fanfictions that are better and more cohesive? It's the same reason Nintendo takes down free fangames; why buy their highly controversial Pokemon games when you could play a free fangame (like Uranium or Xenoverse, not the ROMhacks like Renegade Platinum or Inclement Emerald) that has a neat gimmick or caters to the fans' tastes? Keep it secret, keep it safe, and all that.

[@CherryblossomFoxx]

@@inkylynx2777 Yea it's aggravating to think about

[@Pineconedoter]

As a member of the studio we tried our best to say that Maps and such aren't in harms way through the comments of our post- but it is very nice to see someone with a much bigger audience and voice of reason to help the community with this misunderstanding. It's been a little upsetting to people thinking the warriors fandom will be ending due to our production, but I hope people continue to produce fan content for the series without fear. Thank you Moonkitti for discussing this

[@annabellesgamingadventures5243]

I luv your channel!

[@vinnspants]

Firepaw’s voice actor here! I want to send this video to my mom to be honest 😂 Everytime she remembers we had to stop production, she goes “The authors should be ashamed! It’s free marketing!” And I have to tell her every time that it’s not the authors who shut us down 😂 it’s a completely different team doing that and I love how you addressed that as well! Been a huge fan of your content since eighth grade moon!! Is your patreon my best chance to possibly voice act for one of your comedy skits? I’ve loved those for years and would love the chance to be a part of one and don’t mind a subscription if that’s how it works!

[@Moonkitti]

The voice acting is done through the patreon, but it's largely first come first serve (if not choosing to participate in Stoneclan) and only shows up once every few months. So it's more like a bonus than a consistent reward.

[@SkiggsMoDiggs]

"Word of mouth between children pretending to be cats on playgrounds" is literally how I got into the books lol.

[@miawuff3997]

Honestly, the WC team has been a lot better with letting fans express their artistry and creativity than, like, literally anyone else

[@talkingfez1265]

Exactly!!!!!! Thank You!!

[@miawuff3997]

@@talkingfez1265 aaa, I did not expect a thanks! I think I feel this way because I’ve been so disillusioned by big companies and streaming services shutting down and cancelling animated projects left and right. I think still it sucks that some WC projects will need to shut down, especially since folks have been working on them for so long. But at least people can still make AMVs and MAPs that showcase their talents and help them grow and make connections and build a portfolio.

[@f-106deltadart]

Yep,unlike games workshop

[@SmileyEmps]

@@f-106deltadart if you are ever upset about what the owner of a franchise is doing, just remember they could be games workshop, RIP TTS

[@f-106deltadart]

@@SmileyEmps ye

[@somelurker6115]

Very glad to see a video from a calm adult clarifying that yes, there is in fact a difference between fanart for a book series and a complete unauthorized animated adaptation of said book series, and the copyright holders are definitely going to care about one more than the other lol

[@LilStarling]

Yup! Really glad it's moonkitti too. She never over reacts and actually knows her stuff

[@almondtofuchan3157]

I’m so upset about Little Dragon Studios getting cancelled, I was looking forward to it so much. I’m really worried about what this means about other TPB animated series that are ongoing right now like WCAnimated and Bok Bok Choy and what this means for them.

[@-forestproductions-ez8yp]

Yeah, same

[@catdango6079]

same

[@feathertail8996]

Pinkbunnygirl43, aswell. since she has been re-creating the TBC series since (correct me if wrong) 2016/17 and as far as I know, hasn't been contacted.

[@bluebellblossom]

Oh I thought Bok bok choys was technically a parody i hope it doesn't get canned

[@ricegorm]

​​@@bluebellblossom it is

[@SkyehighStudios]

I am praying and hoping that WCAnimated isn’t shut down, and the company joins them rather than shuts it down. Especially considering their usual voice for audio books Macleod Andrews is voicing a character

[@kyoga5714]

i love that misinformation spreads rampantly in the warrior cats fandom and it's always up to moonkitti shut it down. the lack of critical thinking is abysmal here.

[@opaiescents]

i think that just tends to happen when the fanbase is mostly children and teens. it’s incredibly frustrating how reactive everybody gets in situations like this, but i’m really glad moon is willing to explain everything in such rigorous detail for everyone so we can all calm down.

[@silverhowl9331]

As a critical thinker, this is still a bad move by the Warriors Team…

[@elizzzzzabitch]

@@silverhowl9331 I really don't think it is? They should have communicated clearer so this video wouldn't have been necessary but it's perfectly reasonable for them to not want people to release free warrior cats movies if they're planning/hoping to eventually release an actual warriors movie. That's just how copyright and business work. It sucks but it's not like they're going super overboard and banning every little thing for no reason. They've actually been very generous in allowing so much fan work.

[@ax3247]

@@silverhowl9331 That has absolutely nothing to do with the comment you just replied to. :) "Critical thinker" LMFAOOOO

[@axowotlz]

​@@silverhowl9331 Can't tell if this is a joke or not. It's actually a good thing they specified this sooner. Yes, the wording isn't exactly great. Yes, they still did it extremely late when projects were in the works. But this isn't a bad move from the team, especially since they may plan a Warriors movie in the future.

[@sobble821]

Hey! I'm a writer and animator for LDS! I don't have much to say except wow, wasn't expecting it to get big enough for Moonkitti to mention it in a video! Thanks, Moon!

[@eduardasobral2522]

I'm worried about the project regarding WCAnimated! They've been working so hard on the 2d artstyle and I've been following them from the very beginning. I'd be heartbroken to see it come to an end before it even actually started! I even submitted a voice line for Spottedleaf and Sandpaw when they were open 😢

[@Luminar_Yurei]

Same here

[@scarfstrings.134]

I think that counts a Parody

[@everhonestly]

itd be cool if they could get the chance to work with the publishers!!

[@jooceebox]

Yeah this is where I'm nervous too :( I am so excited for WCA and I hope they can stay under the radar

[@AmyMist]

@Scarf Strings, nope, that’s a direct adaptation. It would need to be using the story for humor in some way to be parody.

[@Crowzly]

It sucks that people can't make a series with the book plots anymore (freely) but people are blowing the entire thing out of proportion! Warriors is not "ruining their community" or taking down your fan art as a whole, it gets annoying to see people say this.

[@possumqe9751]

the overreaction from the fandom is insane

[@ThatLoudCockatoo]

I think the concern people have is that this is a canary in the coal mine situation. We've never had this happen before. There's no precedent for this. Is this a slippery slope? No idea.

[@LilStarling]

LITERALLLLY

[@jamiemunger2931]

@@ThatLoudCockatoo it's also a lack of looking at sources. The FAQ was clearly talking about full book adaptations. Hell, the SAME FAQ had a separate section on why pmvs and maps aren't included in their fanart sections on the website. It's because of copyrighted music and links to external websites (youtube) that don't have regulated chats for minors

[@rozu3425]

tbf most attempts to animate the books dont get very far anyway since its such a big project, maps were a much bigger concern but theres no reason to stop ppl making them since its not like they take any revenue from the official team (if anything maps get mre ppl into warriors lol)

[@CluelessBubbleEater]

It’s not like we can’t make fanart or fanfiction anymore, the community isn’t ‘ruined’. Personally, I think people are just upset at the cancellation of LittleDragonStudios’ project (I was too, it looked beautiful) and are worried about their Warriors related projects and/or posts being taken down.

[@dantedare2797]

I also want to say this is 100% related to the theoretical 'warrior cats' film in production. I'm not sure how real or close it actually is to completion, but the fact is if the company has a deal to make an official, lisensed 3D animated film adapting into the wild, which they will get residuals from, they can't allow essentially the EXACT same product to be released by someone else, for free, to target the exact same audience. I think this is why little dragon studios were the only ones targeted by this push (as far as we know). As sad as it is it was copyright infringment (in terms of the film), but maps, fanart, AU work or parody are fine because they don't directly offer the same experience as the into the wild film in the way this did.

[@ghostpelt]

Exactly. 100% agree. Also we do not know if someone already bought, in the past, the rights to make a movie of the serie. In that case, they could even go as far as legal actions. The fact there was nothing taken down and they just asked to stop without strikes or something similar, is already pretty good imo

[@Snowstar837]

​@@ghostpelt they did. Another company has had the rights for like ten years now

[@ghostpelt]

@@Snowstar837 I just wonder if that contract is still valid. I would guess that it is, but I don't know

[@Jashinist-follower]

I legitimately gave up on the idea they’re making a movie tbh

[@runic_raptor]

I wouldn't say 100% that its something they're actively pursuing. However, This, combined with the survey they put out not too long ago that asked questions about what fans would want in an animated series or movie makes me think it's definitely something they're looking into. But considering how broad those questions were, I don't think its something they're working on actively by any means. Just something they're considering.

[@ACrypticCryptid9]

Hmm, I do worry a bit for WCAnimated though, it seems as though that may fall into what isn't allowed within these new guidelines. It'd be a shame for all that hard work to go to waste.

[@ACrypticCryptid9]

I feel like this is almost definitely in part in relation to them asking in their last poll about interest in an animated adaptation. Obviously, if they're doing an official animated series/shorts they don't want competition from Fanworks. Tbh I've been skeptical about what the quality of an official warriors movie or animated series would look like for a long time now, so, we'll see how that works out. It feels a bit unfair to spring this new rule now after over a literal decade of fans asking and then instead turning to fan created works. Projects like WCAnimated have been in the works for years and it was never an issue before now.

[@sulfur9915]

What I’m hoping is the official team will work with WCA to make something. It’s not unheard of, and WCA is so beautifully done that they might go for it

[@RLane-xz5cj]

This situation is pretty much a crash course for everyone on what copyright and trademark are actually for, and how they work. Another thing is that if you're observed to not be taking your copyright and trademark seriously, such as by letting popular full recreations of your work exist, you could have a very hard time suing someone for ACTUAL theft/plagiarism in the future. It sucks, but for legal reasons, a hard line in the sand has to exist /:

[@Answeredriddle]

“Talenthouse: Owns Coolabi. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. We’re not doing this today. (They are not doing well right now lol).” Godspeed

[@GypsyxDarling]

I love your voice of reason. I do think fandoms with a younger average age are more prone to panic and catastrophizing, and having older members explain things to them rationally is such a big help!

[@Luminar_Yurei]

This makes me worry a lot about the WCAnimated project, if I'm being honest...

[@misterantrobus]

SERIOUSLY! I'm like biting my nails waiting to see what they say about it, the project looked so promising.

[@inkylynx2777]

Even Sunnyfall's Paws of Stars is at risk, despite not being animated material. It's still trademark infringement as Sunnyfall is using Warriors' trademarked characters. The existence of seven books marketed as better-written Po3/OotS is another threat looming over Paws of Stars as while Sunnyfall isn't copying text directly from Po3/OotS, she's still making something you could read instead of the source material. It's honestly a good thing she has it on AO3, since OTW will fight for keeping it archived should someone send a lawyer her way.

[@Sabrinathewitch2]

You mean bok bok chuy?

[@pillowmoment]

It’s obvious the team wants a positive relationship with the fans. The social media page has some really nice fan interaction content sometimes, and they have responded to the person doing the hawkfrost comment joke and praised them for keeping it going. They allow fan creations on their official site. They make fan content official content! They want fans to have a good impression and to keep up the support. They’re still trying to do that. They are just trying to protect their own stuff. We can still make whatever we want as long as it doesn’t take away from the official stuff.

[@lindseylindsey9200]

What’s the hawk frost comment joke I barely use social media

[@swaanm]

For anyone wondering what’s going on with Talenthouse- a group of creatives who worked for Talenthouse came forward and said they weren’t paid for the work they did. The company said that they were going to look to resolve this. There hasn’t been any further developments, but it’s believed that some artists still haven’t been paid.

[@clarehidalgo]

Sounds like the comic book industry

[@Fennexin]

They're also drowning in millions of dollars of debt as of two weeks ago.

[@jamesedenart]

9:20 - this is actually one of the most permissive and kind fan policies I've seen of a company. Ever. No company will let you sell their characters if you just change the name and avoid official logos. They will still send C&Ds. They will still send DMCAs. Also, it's important to note that they legally HAVE TO have some kind of line in the sand. Especially when it comes to Trademark. In the US if you do not protect your Trademark you will lose it.

[@shinkoryu14]

Honestly, if anything the way the situation with Little Dragon Studios was handled was very measured and reasonable. They had no obligation to reach out directly and start a dialogue, all they had to do was file a copyright claim with KZbin like a billion other copyright holders have done. Yeah it's a pity that the fan adaptations aren't going to be allowed anymore, but it's within the company's legal rights to do that.

[@talonsandtails501]

I’m not in the warrior cats fandom but I’ve been seeing this blowing up all over the internet and it’s completely ridiculous. Not only because the statement on the FAQ really hinted nothing at taking down small fanworks, but because if people just used logic for three seconds they’d realize that it wouldn’t be at all advantageous for warrior cats to nuke its fandom. A whole company isn’t going to spend hours scouring every inch of the internet for every bit of fanart they can find so they can take it down for literally no reason

[@magentialice]

Like I've been telling people, this isnt some strange weird thing that the company is different for doing, this is literally JUST how the copyright system works. If you're upset abt this you should be upset about the copyright system.

[@bean3550]

Warriors actually has a pretty lenient stance allowing you to sell fanart as long as particular trademarked logos/iconography aren't used. That isn't tolerated in as many media as you think

[@2devious724]

While it may seem unfair, I can definitely see projects like Little Dragon Studio's as not being considered Fair Use. The creators/owners of the Warriors IP have the legal right to use the books to make their own animated series. Other people making animated series' or movies in non parodic ways would reasonably be considered copyright infringement. Bok Bok Choy's series for example probably wouldn't fall under this category as it's a parody that's transformative and pokes fun at the original series.

[@WeirdCatLover]

I understand what you’re saying and I agree. But the thing is Erin Hunter probably won’t do that. And if they do, they probably shouldn’t. The Erins constantly ruin characters, promote ableism(as seen by snowkit) and so on. And they’d probably make a series or movie of Warriors trash too.

[@SmileyEmps]

even parodies can be threatened by policies like this, for example the popular warhammer parody series TTS was canceled because games workshop set very restrictive rules on how their content can be used, and the creator couldn't afford to get sued, even if he would probably have won, and besides, youtube is not exactly known for standing up to companies on behalf of their creators, especially if those companies are giving them money

[@bloodclaw1659]

@@WeirdCatLover Erin Hunter probably isn't the one responsible for this, it's more than likely their legal team doing this.

[@pixelizedsunset]

Thank you so much for making a video on this! I did some writing and character design for LDS; it was definitely sad that we had to stop production, but it makes me sadder to see fans of the series scared to make Warriors fanart, haha. ^^' This is a SUPER well-made disclaimer for all the fear that's been going around and I greatly appreciate it!

[@ancientglade]

"Isn't fanart fair use?" It always amuses me when people put that little piece of the fair use rules in the description of their memes or other animations because fair use does not cover those things at all and just putting that in your description doesn't make you immune to your stuff getting taken down. If anyone just read the rules of the stuff they were trying to contest, they'd get their answers LOL

[@sooshwa4180]

Ngl I feel like maps would be more likely to be shot down by the song owners than the Warrior Cats Team. They have been such a large part of the community for so long and not even the Erins would ever take that from us.

[@AllMyFriendsRFruit]

It’s great to see Moonkitti stepping in here, with a book series largely aimed at kids, it’s nice to see someone break it down so even the youngest fan can understand what’s happening. Especially when I had seen a video about this same issue on my recommended that was clearly meant to spread panic.

[@PixylMawthz]

Thank you for this video, it's been super frustrating to see people spreading fear and false information, seemingly just to hate on the company. They've always given way more respect and freedom to the fan community than most large companies would- it absolutely sucks to lose some of these projects but they are within their legal rights to do so.

[@moonstar_draws6283]

Thank you for posting this to stop the misinformation! I do wish Little Dragon Studios could continue into the wild, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable for Working Partners to not want this. Copyright is a thing

[@monsernal]

This is actually so relieving, I've tried to stay well away from any miss-information that people would feed you online, but it's been difficult as it has caused a little worry for me, I've been wondering what this meant for AUs and peoples own OC stories, so it's great to see a sensible read on this, thanks a lot 🙏

[@peeblekitty5780]

I'm not worried about MAPs, I'm worried about WCAnimated :( It looks so beautiful and professional and so many people have put so much work into it! It deserves to see the light of day, dammit!

[@MoonDoodles7]

I feel like fans less so come from the art and animation community and more so art and animation keeps people in the fandom. I don't think I would still be reading Warriors at 20 years old if it weren't for the art and animation community BUT I didn't find that community until I had already started reading the books and sought it out.

[@juniperhouser9836]

Thank you sm for making this video and answering some of our questions this helped me understand what’s happening much better

[@layusei4937]

I thing the panic kinda comes from other fandoms being very restricted by the company’s desire to control what is produced and what not. MLP, may not be the best parallel but some of us were there when the fandom basically fall from grace. I think is because of those sort of things

[@foxygrin]

Omg yeah... remember Fighting Is Magic?

[@treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

The roblox games actually was how I got into the fandom, so it's nice to see people acknowledging it. I knew some of my friends were into it, and I thought the game looked cool. So that very day I binged the wiki and the starpedia they include in the game, and a couple days later I picked up into the wild I do not regret it one bit

[@bluebellblossom]

Thank goodness I was so scared when I saw that.

[@Sillycat_07]

im really happy that they aren't taking down any of the existing projects like SSS warriors or any of the maps.. although i would want them to take down that one scourge X ashfur map.. traumatizing..

[@klltx2001]

MAPs don't count towards this. Regardless if people don't like it, being picky and choosy about what to remove will set a dangerous precident in general (The "if you took this down can you also do it for this one too and this one" sort of thing). That's not how it works.

[@geministrial950]

Its just drawings. Get a grip.

[@meevins]

@@geministrial950 drawings of what

[@geministrial950]

@@meevins Youre in a fandom that comes from books where cats kill eachother. If youre going to get your panties in a twist over that you probably shouldnt be here lmao

[@somelurker6115]

Tbh if i was a major copyright holder and a dedicated group of fans was making an animated adaptation of my material for free, I'd be like "holy shit let's hire these guys and make money off of this" lmao

[@ghostpelt]

I _kinda_ agree, but what if someone already bought the rights to make a movie? I'm no expert, but I guess that it would a big problem if someone else started to make a fan version for free

[@billcipher8645]

​@@ghostpelt most likely it restricts their choices. Usually when 2 companies collaborate they make a contract that no one else can work on the same project to prevent cash-and-dump schemes or working on a project to be later told it was for nothing

[@annawesometheflameingpikac3688]

Basically with them hoping to make movies of the books they're trying to protect that market

[@japanesejackalope]

I think it’s funny that everyone freaked out about this it feels like no one really read the statements. This could be way worse, they could take everything down like Nintendo. All things considered this company is being quite kind to its fandom compared to most. Most would eagerly strip everything that they thinks threatens their property.

[@OneStar-ld3sm]

Moon is clearly on the Erin's payroll... just kidding, I figured things weren't as wild as I was originally being told. Warriors team still should give us a movie though.

[@AllMyFriendsRFruit]

A year late but it’s something I think still could be noteworthy for any newcomers who still don’t understand what prompted this kind of action from the “Warrior cats legal team” or whatever they’re currently called. This book series is about a decade old now, with many of the older fans still hanging around. Because if this, we get the older creatives who unlike the MAP hosts which are all ages, have the experience to run a small KZbin animation studio. These small studios can directly compete with the Warriors team for their own future adaptations. We’re getting these announcements now because now the Warriors team is realizing that the fans of the series have more pronounced age range of readers and fan creators. A thirteen year old isn’t going to make a fully functional animation studio, so they have the more short form creations like map parts and AMV/PMVs; but an adult reader has the skills to build a studio, find funding, and create more long term content like full series of even films here in KZbin. (which again is exactly what they’re trying to avoid) Sorry if that’s worded funny or too long, TLDR version is “fanbase has older fans that can make their own movies now, so we need to tell everyone not to do that. Everything else is fine tho”

[@DoodlebugDrawz]

“Word of mouth between children pretending to be cats on the playgrounds” if only i had that opportunity a lot, i love playing as warrior cat ocs /w my friend when we’re camping

[@PintoSwinto]

Thank you so much for making this video! I was fearful of my own arts being removed due to the over dramatization, but this has cleared things up!

[@GippyHappy]

I can’t wait to see your version of Dovewing’s Silence where everyone has wings!

[@Littlepup93]

I appreciate you covering this in such a calm and mature manner.

[@rileyeatonworks]

This video is brilliant. Well organized, well thought-out, and overall a very intelligent analysis of the FAQ content 👏

[@xevilgothgirlx]

did not know this was a thing!! thank you for clearing it up ^^

[@Sprazzo]

this video definitely explains the situation better than any other ones i've found. very informative

[@lpsivy]

Had no idea this was happening, thanks for the info Moonkitti!

[@Atlasorsomething]

Yeah, honestly I feel like it got a bit of overreaction on the point of maps and fanart.

[@catdango6079]

yeah

[@Bioskye]

Yup

[@possumqe9751]

the overreaction has been WILD

[@missoli]

THANK YOU for this. Most of the warriors audience is younger people/kids and don't know how to look in the fine print. Very good video!

[@Silvermoon32109]

As someone who was planning to animate the warrior cats series in 80s style anime and designs inspired by sss. This really sucks😫

[@Moonkitti]

You could always still make AMVs or short scenes in that style, which would be just as rewarding fandomwise and wouldn't take up so much of your life as trying to make a full adaptation

[@sarahblack9333]

​@@Moonkitti honestly I kinda want to watch that now

[@Phonicphennic]

Maybe it could be a parody, or about ocs. This is a cool idea so I hope there’s a way to bring it to life.

[@gaming_dane]

Its very nice to have someone with a level headed response to this. Whenever I watched videos on it it felt like creators were agitating and working up their viewers instead of reassuring them. I knew rationally that it PROBABLY wasn't a big deal but the way I saw so many people insisting that all warriors content is now going to be taken down made me nervous.

[@PositiveLycan]

Darn I have been Called'Out for my Apostra'phes ... [ Was in fandom since before WCUE or even its predasesor, Tube Cats as I call it, existed, but I CANT HELP IT THE APOSTRPAHES FLOW BETTER- ]

[@cryptidkoi8418]

I disagree the apostrophe breaks up the flow of the words and id rather see a smooth Fireheart than a janky Fire’Heart

[@PositiveLycan]

@@cryptidkoi8418 Its mostly because I struggle slightly when reading the 'smooth' words like Fireheart. Its a bit difficult for me to tell when one ends and the other begins, its probably just a me issue, but I in general prefer stuff that breaks it up. be if Fire Heart, FireHeart, Fire'Heart, whatever.

[@shadowsightrules]

i love watching your warrior cats shorts videos in order it feels like a warrior cats series

[@jeriko_studios]

Its interesting to know that instead of WCEU being taken down (sort of like Pokemon Brick Bronze being removed due to copyright and being replaced by Loomian Legacy), instead of from what some folks have been making it sound like these folks are going after every little bit of content, is that they actually went ahead to make it official

[@Starcheopteryx]

I'm a little bummed out cause I hoped to do a rise of scourge adaptation some day but - yeah. they're definitely within their rights to take down stuff. companies gonna company, we got off easy all things considered.

[@pyritenightmare]

I think cancelling LDS was entirely reasonable, honestly. What they were doing is something that major studios MUST pay the copyright holders for. It went beyond fair use for certain, basically being equivalent to making a TV series directly retelling the books. It might be disappointing, but it being cancelled due to concerns of copyright infringement while still being able to release the existing work is quite frankly incredibly nice.

[@ThatLoudCockatoo]

The problem is LDS isn't profiting from it. A studio that pays for the licensing would expect to make money off of it. LDS didn't even take donations ifc.

[@darkhorsesarz]

@@ThatLoudCockatoo that’s part of the problem, at least from a company’s perspective. The fact that it’s free means it’s easier to access than the book it’s based on, meaning a possible loss of revenue.

[@pyritenightmare]

@@ThatLoudCockatoo Copyright still exists even without profit. There ARE free for non-commercial use licenses, but Warrior Cats is NOT registered under one of them. The content of Warrior Cats belongs to someone, and you need to pay that someone to reproduce it.

[@WarriorsAce]

@@darkhorsesarz The idea that this small youtube series would cause any sort of financial loss so great to warrant shutting down of the project by one of the big five English publishing powerhouses is ridiculous tbh

[@Mumble785]

Thank you for making this, I've been seeing a ton of people getting super confused and panicking in comment sections of other things trying to address this stuff. xP Really good to have things like this to help clear it up for a large audience!!

[@afellowlemon]

So glad I helped work on LDS because it came out so well

[@NightTheKittenn]

Judging by the survey questions, my guess is that they’re looking into making an animated series of somekind. They were asking a lot of questions about where you watch animated series and the like. It wouldn’t be beneficial to them to try and shop the rights to a warriors animated series around when theres FREE adaptations on youtube. Studios wouldn’t buy it, because why invest money in something that has a free alternative and thus is unlikely to make them money? It sucks but legally it makes sense and honestly I have a lot of respect for their legal team in terms of putting this in their FAQ and being considerate to LDS’s already finished work.

[@clashbloxblitz789]

Thanks for clarifying. It's been a bit bothersome to get video after video recommendation perpetuating this misunderstanding.

[@flyingfeathers2377]

this might have been an edit made specifically about the recent poll where they hinted at a warriors show (though a wc show would probably be better received with completely new characters)

[@pikablugia]

Thank you so much for making this video!

[@HavensCorner]

Thank you for covering this. I freaked out a little myself, but after it was explained a little bit, I was relieved. The main problem i think a lot of people misunderstood was how the site worded it. I could be wrong about it, but I know that's what was confusing to me.

[@diffjuns323]

18:09 this isn't the main point of the video but I feel so good finally knowing where that apostrophe format comes from

[@echopeak5953]

I will say that I was introduced to Warriors through the KZbin WC fandom. Reviews and animations in this fandom are really awesome and it's important to note that I almost didn't get the original books; after watching enough fan content from various sources I knew the plot of 'the prophecies begin' pretty much back to front. Its clear that they understand that fan content is a double-edged sword of advertisement. An entire adaptation is more of a threat to sales than small snippets of animations or maps based on the plot of an entire book, which would probably draw people into purchasing them more than the former. I second 16:08 - 16:32. I have read so many interesting WC alternate universes that have changed so much of the original story that they would honestly be improved if they weren't anchored by being Warrior Cats fanworks.

[@buggybug09]

I am sad about the chance of WCanimated getting taken down, but I am however, a bit excited about the recent talk of a movie on the website. When I took the survey, they mentioned a movie, or show adaptation many times. It made it make a bit more sense about the copyright stuff.

[@RedBirdRabbit]

but can we get the version of dovewing's silence with cheese in every sentence

[@sarahblack9333]

Cheese 🧀

[@skyyra3456]

phew, even though i expected them not to. they are only parts of the story, not the whole book- usually. but when it is the full book, it's still less then 10 minutes, but when you have it 30 minutes or a little less/more, it probably would be not allowed.

[@KittyKatty999]

Warrior Cats fans acting like they are going to be dealing with Nintendo level copyright abuse. Sounds like everyone has had it so good for so long, that *ANY* remote change is setting off everyone into full panic mode.

[@gato_feliz605]

Yes! Finally somebody gets it!!! Thank you, Moonkitti!!!!

[@Neoyoshgamer]

Echoing everyone else here, thanks for this one. It seemed pretty clear that this is to protect the value of the theoretical film from their statement but got blown out of proportion. It's easy as an adult fan who is used to adult spaces to forget that the fandom is mostly minors and perhaps don't quite understand that for the most part, creators don't want to interfere in fandom spaces since they recognize the value they have but also need to protect their IP when something that could be seen as replacing the actual product gets too big. It's why a lot of fanmade video game remakes get Cease and Desisted after a news outlet runs a story on them but most mods are ignored.

[@fochtfamily317]

What are they going to do about mellowbear's In to the Wild series in Warrior cats: ultimate edition?

[@MrPupperoniYT]

Worried about WCAnimated after the whole LDS debacle. Hopefully the WC team running the website is more clear about this kinda stuff

[@bean9786]

I hope this helps people understand, but you run into legal trouble when the content you're creating meaningfully replaces the experience of consuming the original work. Stuff like Bok Bok Choy's series are alright because most of the jokes only land in parody to the original series. With out the context of the books, a lot of the content loses meaning. And the stuff that stands on its own... stands on its own, and isn't one-to-one recreations of dialogue. But the more recent 'Into the Wild' IS into the wild. If you had a friend who wanted to experience into the wild but didn't like reading, you could direct them to that video and they'd consume the same plot with the same characters, functionally replacing the intended audience of the book. If they don't protect their copyright, that looks bad on their part when they approach a studio about adaptations. It's not necessarily a dealbreaker or something, but it'll hurt negotiations if it looks like anyone is allowed to touch the IP with out repurcussions anyway. Why pay for a book's IP if people are already actively creating adaptations of it for free?

[@Oatmilk_mouse]

i think that many people mistake the comany side of warrior cats or even just the official works for being evil, creativity hating, money-driven monsters sometimes. while its true that new, young fans often arent coming from the online fan content, what it does do is keep them interested as teens and later adults. the people behind warrior cats KNOW this and wouldnt ever want to take stuff down that encourages people to stay. everything theyve done has always been largely encouraging and supportive of fan artists and we know for a fact that they love this community. however, if they were to want to make a movie or a show or whatever, the people theyd be working with to do so would probably really not like the idea that there are already full adaptations of some books for free. they are keeping themselves open to working with others, thats all.

[@qKitti]

We love lawyer Moonkitti

[@dreamis_studios]

When I heard about everything, I way overreacted, fearing the absolute worst. Now I really regret that, because, for the most part, everything is the exact same before the policy got so much attention. :/

[@Fennexin]

Regarding Talenthouse, it appears they only acquired coolabi in October 2022. also looks like they're trying to sell "all of their UK assets" so I wouldn't be too pressed tbh

[@monicagrace9536]

16:41 I got into the series because I saw a shiny gold cover with a cat on it in my school library. When child sees cute animal on book cover, they read. Children are not a complicated audience to cater to y'all 😭 the animation high horse needs to be gotten off of

[@RossThePuppyCat]

Thank you for explaining this- I think it will help younger fandom members to understand and stop freaking out. Copyright law is confusing!

[@rempelremps5769]

About the part about their warrior cats movie. Will it ever be finished? Will it stay true to the books? We don’t know, but I think, if it never gets done, or fans aren’t happy about it, the warrior cats team should work with people who make adaptations to make a proper movie

[@willfahsdalsfdal4471]

I would pay to see a dovewings silence in witch all sentences have cheese

[@RubberduckStudios]

gotta love the thumbnail

[@Inv_Enot]

Though maps are still allowed I’m still upset they canceled little dragon studios series, I’m also worried they may force WCAnimated to cancel theirs, though not ruining the community it’s still upsetting

[@clarehidalgo]

People freaking out by them saying basically "we can send you a cease & desist if we believe you are stepping on our toes"

[@Bee8467]

It’s sad but people are really blowing this way out of proportion i agree

[@justlikethewizard]

I know it's easy to get up in arms when copyright gets mentioned but it is so important to have copyright. Young creators I promise copyright is not just to protect big corporations, especially if you make content or want to write or animate. Copyright is there to protect you too!

[@marinosnyhe6538]

Copyright is a good idea on paper to allow creators to earn money off their work (hence why it's duration was originally short), however ever since lawmakers have tried to turn it into a moral issue (thanks largely due to the Berne Convention and the extentions of it's duration) it's essentially just become a thing that polices creativity and shuts down any creativity that is doesn't meet it's "standards".

[@leahkoskovich2749]

Imagine if this whole thing just becomes a self fulfilling prophecy with a majority of the fandom leaving, out of the belief and fear that the fandom is actually ending and the erins will not allow fan content anymore.

[@walltampon3560]

17:30 was actively playing that game while watching this in the background

[@FedGrod]

It's also stupid because you can literally just search for a png of a whole warriors book or listen to the entire frickin audiobooks on youtube, but they decided to copyright Little Dragon Studios

[@Moonkitti]

The difference is really in what they know exists

[@FedGrod]

@@Moonkitti true

[@strawby]

I dont read warrior cats or keep up with the fandom anymore. So outside of your vids, i know nothing. So i am rather amazed by how wild everything continues to be

[@WarriorsAce]

Very cool video, I appreciate the objectiveness (since my video was more warrior cats is EVIL spin on it). I do really agree with you, and didn't consider before, that warrior cats has always had the ability to do this. But, why now change their policy and then take down adaptations? I don't know if it is poorly written, like you said, or if they did want to make it vague so they could justify taking these down. Anyways, good video, I'm still mad at warrior cats.

[@Moonkitti]

Because they're intending to make their own adaptation, and it would be legally advisable to do so, so that adaptation can be made.

[@WarriorsAce]

@@Moonkitti I see your point. I'm curious, do you think warrior cats is fine is doing this? I personally think it's very dumb especially when there are issues like pirated pdfs everywhere and criminal fanfictions, so I don't see why taking down a fan, non commerical adaptation should be top priority especially when so many are mad about it.

[@antisocial_butterfly1]

I’m so sad though because I was so excited for WCAnimated :’(