MLK Not Banner Worthy?
Over the past year, Niantic has indicated that they believe in such movements as BLM and racial equality. I am not here to bash that, because I really hope that it isnt just lip service. Waypoints of problematic people have been removed from the database (which I love that was done). We have been given BLM in game items. And generally it has been really refreshing to see people of colour working in an industry that is often very white washed. However when we try to do such things as banners about such topics, they do not get approved. For example, in Winnetka, IL there is a portal of a plaque that commemorates a speech given by MLK. It keeps getting denied because of a face of a human being visible. The image is above. The banner would start at that waypoint. It would have been called MLKJ Speech. (I did not submit it, another agent did). Yet in Philadelphia there is a banner of abolitionists. It is their portraits and their full face is in high detail. (I LOVED doing that banner btw. I learned so much that day. And I do NOT want to see it removed.)
So what gives? @NianticBrian there is an issue with the mission approval system. People have been complaining for years that missions that should be valid are being rejected over and over again. Yet another person submits the same EXACT mission, name, description, image, waypoints, etc... It gets approved. It is an absolute arbitrary system that really seems to have no rules that are truly followed. Personal photographs or graphics agents have taken are rejected for copyright. And there is no way to appeal that. Others get copied righted graphics approved all the time, such as legend of zelda missions. Or super mario brothers. Yet we cant get something like MLK? I am not asking for those such as the zelda or mario to be taken down. They are really darn cool and are fan art made by agents. And they really encourage people to go explore an area and move. But the entire system needs a revamp. The rules and guidelines should either be actually followed for approvals, or they need to be done away with.
We were hoping to have the banner above approved in time for the UCR picnic this coming weekend in the Chicago area. But just how many times do we need to submit it?
Comments
This seem to be an issue of concern ‘mission rejection’ I believe Niantic can do better with.
While the mission approval system is arbitrary and capricious, at best, and completely infuriating at worst, MLKs estate has been notably aggressive about pursuing what they see as copyright violations. (See for example https://www.trademarkandcopyrightlawblog.com/2018/01/martin-luther-king-jr-and-copyright-five-things-you-should-know/ )
Unfortunately, as with most mission rejections, there is no way to know if there was an actual fear of copyright violation or whether the mission reviewer just selected the closest available form letter to whatever undocumented cause for rejection they thought the mission fit.
Yip, there be no way they are your original pictures.....
Never said the MLK was original picture. If you read the context you will see there is a larger discussion about mission rejection.
99% of all mission banners use non-original images.
However their slicing, positioning, mission names, description, portal and waypoints selection all contributes enough transformation to allow their use under fair-use clause.
Are you a copyright attorney, or have you verified this with one?
So, lets not derail this. The real issue here is how missions are approved and rejected. The entire process is a mess.
Copyright laws vary so dramatically from country to country that Niantic could never hope to have a single set of rules for mission banners. The point of the original post is that they have no idea if that's the real reason for the rejection, or if some random system has decided anything with a face is no longer allowed. The focus should be on the lack of transparency, not trying to outlawyer people in a comment thread. (Are you trying to bring Popehat down on us?)