It has come to my attention, and many other creators’ attention, that a website under the name SimsDom is posting external links to CC creator’s content under ad links (60 seconds), therefore, profiting off of our content without our permission. While the mods of the site plead this is not illegal, it does not excuse the fact that they are in violation of many users’ TOUs (and possibly copyright infringement as a whole), and actions such as these are incredibly upsetting and inexcusable.
Here are just a few pieces of unauthorized CC:
Notice that none of the content pictured indicates a creator name (unless specified in the original, stolen image). Only when you search for your URL specifically, your content will not be immediately shown.
And to expand upon the real issue, your CC posts are being monetized before a user visits your original post. (Even so, this isn’t always the case, either. Some posts on SimsDom link to the download itself, rather than the original post. So you may be missing out on notes or reblogs of your content. This method tends to vary) If someone were to download content on SimsDom, they’d either have to sit through a 60 second ad (while an adblocker is enabled) or become a member of the site to disable all ads, therefore speeding up the downloading/browsing process, much like TSR. (the only difference being that TSR creators/users upload the content themselves)
The price for membership ranges anywhere between ~$2 a month to ~$20 a year. All without creator permission! Not only are they taking advantage of creators, they are taking advantage of their users/members.
And to make matters worse, when a creator makes a request to have their content removed from the site, they are met with indifference and disrespect. A fellow content creator, @isjao, requested to have their content removed, this is how the conversation played out:
The message on the right can be translated to (as per Google Translate):
“Hello, isjao. Your request for site administration was passed on and we reviewed your request better. We have seen that you are a creator who really does not deserve any downloads coming from the SimsDomination. SimsDomination usually sends between 30% and 90% of the total downloads to a creator. If you want to be a creator of Tumblr, you will be. We’ve removed your creations and blocked future directions to your Tumblr and site. If we see indications of Tumblrs that have relogared their posts, as the link informed, we will remove as well. But keep in mind that you are not the only item creator in the world. It’s not we who depend on you and yes, you rely on disclosure to help you have more downloads. The indications for your items have been removed. We wish you a great week.”
And in a Tumblr post, SimsDom addressed the issue as well:
While I understand many CC creators use services such as Adfly (myself included), Patreon or receive donations through PayPal or Ko-Fi, this does not mean we shouldn’t have control over who is able to use our content for profit or forfeit the right to request it doesn’t. And when a simple request is made to have content removed, we shouldn’t be met with disrespect.
SimsDom is clearly violating our rights to our content, and they need to be held accountable. If possible, I urge you to get in contact with a site admin if you feel as though you are being treated unlawfully or disrespectfully. Be sure to notify fellow content creators if you see their content being used without their permission! And in the meantime, I, as well as others, will research a way to get this site removed.
Here is a list of confirmed creators on the site (WIP)
The list has been compiled by @petaluh. Your work is greatly appreciated!
SimsDom Twitter | SimsDom Tumblr | SimsDom Site
