Seems someone copied my idea and won an APOD :( - Forums

Topic starter

Jan 16, 2017

Hey folks,
today I saw the actual APOD and couldn't believe my eyes. It seems that someone copied my satellite tracks near Orion Idea in the most uncreative way (nearly same exposure, looks like the same processing, "feels" the same). I am angry at myself for not submitting it, but I am also angry about this copy-paste thing. At least my version is stabilized, his version looks like a cheap copy.
I am not searching for help here, just to tell my anger. Has something like this ever happened to one of you?

My Version: http://www.astrobin.com/276520/B/
His APOD: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170116.html

carl0s

Jan 16, 2017

Regarding the ego issue, what are your reasons for doing AP ? "Winning APOD" seems little bit childish to me ;-)

Btw, Your version is much better :-)

Björn Hoffmann

Topic starter

Jan 16, 2017

Thank you, Carlos!

I never submitted something to APOD, so winning one is definitely not on my list.

I thought my work will be ready for that only in a few years. Maybe I am also angry for losing a good opportunity here. And I am definitely angry at this obvious copying of my work.

xordi

Jan 16, 2017

Also last week there was a fraud on APOD. It was suspicious immediately for me as the author stated his picture was taken with a C11, but as I know more or less the capabilities of the SC tubes, it was quite clear that this is not correct. I wrote to the APOD forum immediately and maybe therefore or maybe the editors have also found the problem, but in the afternoon the picture was withdrawn and new one was submitted.

I suggest you write on the forum there, however your case is not a "real" fraud, but it is clearly not a coincidence.

Björn Hoffmann

Topic starter

Jan 16, 2017

I just wrote into the discussion forum. Let's see if something happens. However, you are right: It's no fraud, just a very blatant case of idea copying. I support everyone to use my work as inspiration and I am always happy to see the results of such inspiration, but I don't like it when someone silently uses my stuff so obvious and doesn't even mention me. To be clear: It also could be a huge coincidence, but the time, two weeks after my own publication, seems pretty suspicious.

Wei-Hao Wang

Jan 16, 2017

Bravo to your brilliant idea. Too bad someone copied it.

Dan H. M.

Jan 16, 2017

That is really lame, though unfortunately not uncommon in the world of creative design.

Well Written

Kees Scherer

Jan 16, 2017 · Edited: Jan 17, 2017

Yes, your video is a month old, 11 month's ago i posted this on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kees-scherer/24348412344/in/dateposted-public/
I guess that more people can and will have the same idea, but i understand your frustration.

EDIT: The Twitter account @fakeastropix picked it up: https://twitter.com/FakeAstropix/status/821136035878989827

EDIT2: And let's not forget this 2010 APOD about?…you guessed it : https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100220.html

Kees Scherer

Björn Hoffmann

Topic starter

Jan 17, 2017

@Kees: Thanks for pointing out the fakeastropix post about it. I need to clarify things, because I am afraid you and many more get me wrong on this: I never stated that I was the first one who captured an animation of the satellites near Orion. It's about the artistic details: viewfield, composition, framing, exposure times, animation speed, image processing. If you keep all these things in mind, the APOD looks surprisingly similar to my version.
I don't "own" a patent on this idea, I know. But once you just reproduce others work to the detail, it is not original anymore.

Gilbert Ikezaki

Jan 17, 2017

To feel possessive is to be human, but maybe we should not let our human instincts get the better of us.

Every photograph on AstroBin is a “copy” of someone else’s idea and work. Someone was the first person to have the idea of putting a photosensitive plate behind a telescope and pointing it towards the heavens. I’m sure it was quite novel at the time, but now we all copy him, or was it her? Even so, I admit I post on AstroBin out of self-pride, and never think of all those who went before.

I feel empathy for your anger, but perhaps, no sympathy.

Well Written Insightful Engaging

Madratter

Jan 18, 2017

My own view is that the APOD may or may not have actually copied your idea. I think there are significant differences between the two, some of which favor each. And how far do you take this idea of something being a copy?

There are only so many ways to frame the area around the Orion Nebula, especially if you are going to include the satellite highway.

If he had actually copied some part of your actual image, I think you would be right. But that isn't the case here. I'm a pretty law and order kind of guy, but I simply don't think there is a foul here.

Well Written Insightful Respectful

Martin (Marty) Wise

Jan 19, 2017

I understand the frustration of seeing something similar winning an award of some kind and thinking it could have been yours.

But I also don't think there's any idea copying or anything foul here either. The idea of showing a satellite highway is hardly new and even yours is similar to several others out there that pre-date it. Regardless of composition, field of view, processing, etc. You have to put into context that the idea behind this sentiment of this thread, copying an idea, is what everyone here is doing. I would suggest not taking it so personal, anyone who did something similar before you, or even thought about potentially capturing an image or animation similar, is being copied by you, logically. If something were physically the same, that would be different, but it's very, very different here. Your image and the image in question are significantly different in literally every way. This is not to dismiss your feelings, mind you, just to point out that you're taking it very personal.

Clear skies,

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John Hayes

Frequent contributor

Jan 20, 2017

It sounds like you are kicking yourself for not submitting your image for an APOD and yet you say that winning one isn't on your list. So why are you bugged? It's not at all obvious to me that this is a case of copying. A lot of folks take images of M42 and it doesn't take very many subs to see that a lot of satellites pass through that region of the sky so it's pretty likely is it that more than one person might have the idea of making a movie. Think that's unlikely? Go try to get a patent on something. It's common to discover that you aren't even close to being the first one to independently come up with "your" idea. The only way to handle this sort of thing is to submit your image in the first place because if someone beats you to it, you are tough out of luck. If you don't submit it and someone else does…just let it go and be better prepared for the next time you have a brilliant, one-of-kind idea.

John

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Jean-Marie MESSINA

Apr 20, 2018

Hello Björn ,
It happens, you can read this ( it's in french ) :
http://www.astrosurf.com/topic/116422-partage-de-la-confusion-dun-plagieur-sur-astrobin-et-d%C3%A9ontologie-des-imageurs/

Sorry for my very bad english
Jean-Marie