You know, I pretty much agree with everything you are saying, and I commend you for sticking to your morals... but... maybe (and I dont know if this is true or not) but, just maybe, digitalcorvettes did not recive the pic stright from GM, and maybe they didn't know there was an 'embargo' on them... it is possible.

Also, as for the quotes above... I have a hard time believing you are just standing up for 'justice'... after all the "I told you first", "You should do a search and figure out who I am before you post", etc comments that we've heard from you... the first thing that crossed my mind was "quit whinning"...

 

In Brandon's defense.....it's not just about who get's the scoop, but traffic flow through a commercial website translates into $$ too.

Advertisers, just like in magazines, pay rates based on exposure.

Having a relationship w/ GM and keeping it, means that not only are you building a level of trust, but your own credibility too.

It takes a ton of work to give us what his website does and he's just trying to play on a level playing field.

Spy photos are one thing, GM copyrighted material is something else all together.

Believe me, GM ain't too happy about people stealing their thunder and breaking promises.

 

Life goes on.......

 

It would not surprise me if GM legal decides to play hard ball on this one.

 

As long as there is an internet, and access to it, the days of embargoed pictures are pretty much coming to an end.

It's fun to be the one of the elite few holders of information (I'm there myself), and it's a matter of honor to hold information when asked to (I'm a walking skeleton closet of info at times), but let's be realistic.

I'm not going to get bent because someone else posted info I already have unless my livelyhood depends on it. If I ran a website, I would realize that I have a dayjob, and I'd keep things in perspective. I have embargoed pictures that someone else posted? I'd honor my agreement not to post them. Much like everyone & their brother does here, I'd supply a link to the site (unless told not to) and call it a day.

Let's be perfectly honest here. We go into the "information" business as a hobby because we are interested in what's coming down the line, or we want the latest inside information, not because we have a noble need to serve the public intrest. It's pretty ironic the pretty shallow outrage expressed by some here. Yet we as fall over ourselves to check out these "embargoed" pictures.

So let's keep things in perspective here.

Everyone wants to see the 1st pics of a new car. Some of us have legal or honor-based commitments NOT to post things we have (me included). We don't post them. Period.

If someone at Car & Driver or Motor Trend, or some other magazine or website where these guy's paycheck depends on breaking news ends up slipping their pic on a website bothers you, get over it! That's on them, not you!

 

Well said, as usual.

 

I think Branden does an excellent job with his site even though I don't contribute too much myself.
The C6 story was just a matter of time and I had a feeling one of these days someone is going to post the pics and it's going to be all over the web.

About the trailer pics.. at first I seriously thought GM was nuts leaving it's most prized possesion out in the open.. it didn't seem smart at all and the person that snapped the pic was fine for posting them. However being priviledged to copywritten pics is an honor and C&D will seriously not be in the loop in the future for GM cars which is bad because this creates BUZZ. If someone has pics of a GTO with hood scoops etc from GM and it leaks out it creates speculation and conversation on web-stes which all in my opinion add to people getting excited about GM but there is a line and posting barred images crosses that line.

I'm glad that I'm on a site where members have privvy information and can share little tidbits with all of us to keep us happy and excited. To them I say good job

Branden: Keep up the good work.. and don't worry the 5th Gen. unveiling is still there...

 

This is one area where the "big" boys have it over the little ones.

There is simply no way on earth GM will put a magazine like Car & Driver out of the loop on future car previews. That's why large magazines can get away with things like this. Even if they are not directly responsible, they won't be embargoed in the future.

This isn't someone who went into GM's files & printed pictures of a 2008 Impala, it's simply a early posting of pictures of a car that's going to be introduced anyway in less than 3 weeks.

Small websites (that aren't taken seriously as say Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track for instance) simply aren't going to be afforded the same standards because they aren't a medium that can guarantee a large audience, and aren't plastered in plain sight on the front covers of magazines of newsstands (the same as free advertising).

Hate to put it this way, but that's the way it is.

As for the Corvette "trailer" pictures, anytime a vehicle is out in public view, it's not subject to any rules or embargoes regarding pictures of it, and every maker knows this. To think they don't purposely use this to their advantage (then faking outrage that someone took a picture) to get "teasers" out in public, isn't being realistic.

It's all a game, that's all.

 

Car and Driver has a circulation of over ONE MILLION copies per month.

Short of publishing closely held insider financial information or a picture of Bob Lutz drinking a martini in his underwear, .....C&D won't get embargoed by GM.....believe me.

 

There are no "rules" on posting pictures if it is in public domain. If people were getting their Car and Driver mags and Hot Rod mags early its theirs. They paid for it and can do whatever they want with it, like post it on the internet.

If GM wants to cry about it they can cry all the way to the bank. As the saying goes loose lips sink ships. If you want to keep a secret dont tell anyone. The more people you tell the faster the secret will be out.

Maybey GM should link up with the RIAA to keep their sacred embargo secure. Everyone stop crying your making me sick.

 

Not exactly....

For instance...post a picture that Brenda Priddy took that came in one of your mags and watch how fast she sends you a cease and desist letter.

It is wrong to take someone elses work and distribute it in a manner that they did not intend. I am sure Car and Driver will loose a few articles now that thier top story is scanned all over the internet.

 

Not exactly....I for one know that C&D was in hot water with GM already because they took a GTO prototype racing without their consent. Also GM is starting to change their stance with the magazines because every reveiw they write is generally negative and has stuff like "okay for a GM car". Bob Lutz has threatened to seriously reexamine who is getting the advterising money of they don't become a little less biased. It is GM's and other companies advertising money that pay for these magazines...not criculation.

I am sure GM will not be happy the C6 is all over the net two weeks before it's into....this normally does not happen around the NAIAS.


Also many websites have more than a million visitors a month (not min though)...so it's not all that spectacular.

 

If I get my info on my own through talking to people and such I will surly report it.....

However if GM says okay we finanly respect your site enough to consider you mainstream media and give you the same access they have....then I am gonna respect the limits that they set. I like to think that considering I have come a long way over the past few years...but I see some will always have a personal attack ready.

 

I think C&D is very fair in it's reporting. They are tough on everyone!

Anyone that says they are biased against GM....just doesn't bother to read all the road tests.

They will just as easily crucify a high dollar Jag or Mercedes Benz...(maybe even more so...because of their high cost)...as they would a Saturn Ion.

I've seen bias in the media against American cars.....but not from C&D.

They are an equal opportunity critic.

Besides.....they did pop for that 4 wheel alignment before they took the GTO racing.

 

I don't think posting a picture of a car 2 1/2 weeks before it's introduced is on the same plane as taking a developmental prototype being used as a press car on a road race in Neveda. That's comparing Apples and Boulders.

As for "embargoed pictures" GM had the 2005 Corvette on a trailer in friggin DOWNTOWN San Francisco almost a month ago.....in broad daylight!!! The only outrage I've heard from anyone is 2nd guessers here on this thread. I haven't heard any genuine issues GM has with this.

Let it rest already. GM embargoed the pictures THEY owned. The monthly car mags own their own pictures and stories. If there was any legal agreement regarding the magazines, they honored it.

I'm still going to buy these magazines because I want to read the articles, GM purposely left teasers and loopholes (anyone who thinks anyone pulled a fast one on GM's legal department is simply dreaming) to build up anticipation and some media outlets simply aren't a part of all this. Nothing more, nothing less, it's happened in the past & it will happen in the future.

Again, it's all a game. Enjoy the fact you were one of the 1st to see the car, and the added stature among some in the industry that you can keep things to yourself, and move on.

Sour grapes aren't doing any good.... except as cover to GM (though all car makers play this game) so they don't have to fake outrage themselves.