Ustream

Those of you who like to pop into the live feed of me drawing, ranting and sometimes playing with my action figures will have noticed that I haven't been there in days. That's because the site that hosts the live feed, Justin.tv, has made some technical changes which have caused my connection with their broadcaster to be choppy and unpredictable. The admins there (okay, one admin) has been very helpful in trying to find the problem but at this point he's basically shrugging his shoulders and giving up. Asking Justin.tv for further help at this point is kind of like calling the police and asking them you help you find your car keys. It's just not going to happen.

Now before you helpful readers start emailing me with great advice on how to fix the problem, let me say that this problem has been confirmed to be on Justin.tv's end and there is nothing that I can do. But thanks anyways to you tech savy folks who were halfway to clicking on my email link to help.

So in an attempt to move on, I looked into Ustream, another live broadcasting site. That's when I noticed this little gem tucked into their terms of service...

(i) License Grant. Ustream.tv does not claim ownership rights in your User Submissions. However, by uploading, streaming, submitting, emailing, posting, publishing or otherwise transmitting any User Submission to Ustream.tv or on the Site, you hereby grant Ustream.tv a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual and irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works based on, perform, display, publish, distribute, transmit, broadcast and otherwise exploit such User Submissions in any form, medium or technology now known or later developed, including without limitation on the Site and third party websites. You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents and permissions to grant the foregoing licenses to Ustream.tv. Ustream.tv will own all right, title and interest in and to all derivative works and compilations of User Submissions that are created by Ustream.tv, including all worldwide intellectual property rights therein. You agree to execute and deliver such documents and provide all assistance reasonably requested by Ustream.tv to give to Ustream.tv the full benefit of the rights granted to Ustream.tv by you.

Now... am I wrong in thinking that they're legally dressing me up in a skimpy french maid's outfit and having their kinky way with me? That they could take an image of say, Big Ears that I was drawing on their feed and put him in a book, movie or whatever they feel like making and there'd be nothing that I could do? I'm no lawyer, but it sure looks that way. I've emailed MINEstream... er... I mean Ustream today with this question, so we'll see what they say.

I'll have a new sneak peak up tonight.

As always, thanks for reading.

~Thunt