(Topic ID: 193875)

Who is "wildcard amusement"? highjacked my website...

By cfh

6 years ago


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  • 465 posts
  • 137 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by spfxted
  • Topic is favorited by 31 Pinsiders

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    There are 465 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 10.
    #51 6 years ago

    Reminds me of what Rome Wallace was doing back in the RGP days.

    #52 6 years ago
    Quoted from dsuperbee:

    So it's ok to be totally hypocritical so long as it helps you out in the end.
    It's still theft either way you slice it

    If I can't buy it in USA then I'll buy it overseas. I don't care how I get it.
    Do you realize how many vehicles Jay Leno has saved by having his machinists make his own parts that were not available?
    I'd be crazy not to try and keep my machines alive one way or the other.
    -Mike

    #53 6 years ago

    I bet his Facebook page is interesting.

    -1
    #56 6 years ago
    Quoted from Grizlyrig:

    If I can't buy it in USA then I'll buy it overseas. I don't care how I get it.
    Do you realize how many vehicles Jay Leno has saved by having his machinists make his own parts that were not available?
    I'd be crazy not to try and keep my machines alive one way or the other.
    -Mike

    That is allowed by law (making parts for your own personal use). Making those parts and selling them is not. Isn't this guy trying to help keep machines alive one way or the other? He is. So no difference in what he is doing and people making unlicensed stuff

    12
    #57 6 years ago
    Quoted from dsuperbee:

    So no difference in what he is doing and people making unlicensed stuff

    You kidding me?

    I'm making the parts with my own hands and equipment, one at a time. He's copying material from other web sites and re-publishing it for monetary gain, as-is, untouched.

    You really see this as the "same thing" ?

    Wow.

    #58 6 years ago
    Quoted from Bendit:

    You kidding me?
    I'm making the parts with my own hands and equipment, one at a time. He's copying material from other web sites and re-publishing it for monetary gain, as-is, untouched.
    You really see this as the "same thing" ?
    Wow.

    Are you making unlicensed parts and selling them? If so then yeah you are stealing. Someone created that design, and you are using it without paying for it. By your logic, hand painted forgeries of paintings would be OK, since it was 'done wi my own hands and equipment.'

    #59 6 years ago
    Quoted from dsuperbee:

    Are you making unlicensed parts and selling them?

    No I'm not. Just an example.

    You are right, technically selling anything without permission is illegal (and wrong).

    There is a difference though, in the level of ass-holeness between the 2 scenarios.

    Wouldn't you agree?

    #60 6 years ago
    10
    #61 6 years ago
    Quoted from dsuperbee:

    So it's ok to be totally hypocritical so long as it helps you out in the end.
    It's still theft either way you slice it

    So what's your point here?

    Are you ok with what Guy Pinballeri is pulling here or are you just outraged there isn't enough outrage about other IP theft in pinball. Will you not support efforts to get Guy to stop his pinball IP theft until there is more outrage of unrelated IP pinball theft or are you just trying to raise further awareness of rampant pinball IP theft? Or do you support a double-pronged assault on pinball IP theft - in that you want Clay's rights protected but at the same time you would like to see concurrent efforts to stop other pinball IP theft?

    Also do you have any specifics? What other pinball IP theft is upsetting you that you don't see enough attention on?

    Quoted from Bendit:

    No I'm not. Just an example.
    You are right, technically selling anything without permission is illegal (and wrong).
    There is a difference though, in the level of ass-holeness between the 2 scenarios.
    Wouldn't you agree?

    I'm not sure "a-hole level measurement" is admissible in court. Theft is theft.

    39
    #62 6 years ago

    This guy bought my "Package Deal" of book and DVDs (including a PDF copy of my copyrighted "Big Blue Book") just a month ago. To me, this indicates a premeditated action, that he planned to post my copyrighted material on his website.

    Order Date
    June 04, 2017
    9:50 AM
    Order Number
    #dt
    Shipping Address
    Eric Mentzer
    [removed]
    Dallastown, PA 17313
    Contact Info
    +1 717-757-7811
    [email protected]
    Buyer Note
    This is being sent to my business address: Berkshire HathawayHomeSale Realty. Please add this to the address label. Thanks, Eric

    DVD Super Package Deal $349.95
    Regular
    Subtotal $349.95
    Shipping $12.50
    Tax $0.00
    Total $362.45

    #63 6 years ago

    I guess that u can say he ain't 'kid n play'in around...

    IMG_1725 (resized).JPGIMG_1725 (resized).JPG

    #64 6 years ago

    Nono.. It's "Profit Shareing". Completely different.

    #65 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    This guy bought my "Package Deal" of book and DVDs (including a PDF copy of my copyrighted "Big Blue Book") just a month ago. To me, this indicates a premeditated action, that he planned to post my copyrighted material on his website.
    Order Date
    June 04, 2017
    9:50 AM
    Order Number
    #dt
    Shipping Address
    Eric Mentzer
    2798 South Queen Street
    Dallastown, PA 17313
    Contact Info
    +1 717-757-7811
    [email protected]
    Buyer Note
    This is being sent to my business address: Berkshire HathawayHomeSale Realty. Please add this to the address label. Thanks, Eric
    DVD Super Package Deal $349.95
    Regular
    Subtotal $349.95
    Shipping $12.50
    Tax $0.00
    Total $362.45

    Anyone wants to get the real lawyers after him, I doubt Warren Buffett / Berkshire Hathaway would care for him using their name for his business.

    #66 6 years ago
    Quoted from EvanDickson:

    Anyone wants to get the real lawyers after him, I doubt Warren Buffett / Berkshire Hathaway would care for him using their name for his business.

    Looks to me like he really is a "Sales Associate" for one office of that company. He's listed on their real website.

    52
    #67 6 years ago

    I have a copyright attorney on retainer. The way copyright law reads, I am compelled to pursue legal action or risk losing my copyright. It's an odd clause that favors the public against the copyright holder. Cost of doing business . . .

    Please have no doubt this will be resolved.

    #68 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    I have a copyright attorney on retainer. The way copyright law reads, I am compelled to pursue legal action or risk losing my copyright. It's an odd clause that favors the public against the copyright holder. Cost of doing business . . .
    Please have no doubt this will be resolved.

    if nothing else, keep us informed!

    #69 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    Please have no doubt this will be resolved.

    Woo!

    Only takes one asshole like Guy Pinballeri here (thanks Levi) to ruin it for everyone.

    15
    #70 6 years ago

    Nothing is ruined. I stand and salute those who "dropped a dime" to me in this regard. I appreciate it very much. There IS hope for humanity.

    rf

    #71 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    Nothing is ruined. I stand and salute those who "dropped a dime" to me in this regard. I appreciate it very much. There IS hope for humanity.
    rf

    Are you really Randy Fromm???? If so thanks for everything you've done for the arcade community.

    10
    #72 6 years ago

    Yes, I am Randy Fromm.

    Thanks. Just doing my job, really.

    rf

    #73 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    This guy bought my "Package Deal" of book and DVDs (including a PDF copy of my copyrighted "Big Blue Book") just a month ago.

    Motherf... The nerve to get it from the source. Wow.

    #74 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    Yes, I am Randy Fromm.
    Thanks. Just doing my job, really.
    rf

    Randy, I saw your account is new. I'm sure many of us would love to see you on pinside!

    For more enjoyable discussions etc of course!

    #75 6 years ago

    Looks like the YouTube videos were just taken down.

    #76 6 years ago
    Quoted from PismoArcade:

    Looks like the YouTube videos were just taken down.

    That didn't take long. Chalk one up for pinside.

    #77 6 years ago

    I hope he doesn't steal the vfw clay put another lock on the door

    #79 6 years ago
    Quoted from randyfromm:

    This guy bought my "Package Deal" of book and DVDs (including a PDF copy of my copyrighted "Big Blue Book") just a month ago. To me, this indicates a premeditated action, that he planned to post my copyrighted material on his website.
    Order Date
    June 04, 2017
    9:50 AM
    Order Number
    #dt
    Shipping Address
    Eric Mentzer
    [removed]
    Dallastown, PA 17313
    Contact Info
    +1 717-757-7811
    [email protected]
    Buyer Note
    This is being sent to my business address: Berkshire HathawayHomeSale Realty. Please add this to the address label. Thanks, Eric
    DVD Super Package Deal $349.95
    Regular
    Subtotal $349.95
    Shipping $12.50
    Tax $0.00
    Total $362.45

    I called him at worked (the above phone number) but he was not there. I also emailed him. In both cases i asked very nicely to remove my material from his website. I just can't believe someone would do this stuff. Youtube removed my videos (like they did with Randy). But i really don't want to hire a lawyer past this...

    #80 6 years ago

    He wouldn't know you wouldn't hire one. Just act like it would be an "or else" option for you.

    29
    #81 6 years ago

    I don't know about you folks, but my parents always taught me to never trust anyone with just one tie, especially when it's a sailboat/lighthouse tie.

    Also, whoever commented on the haircut was dead right. Literally looks like he walked in a barber and said "I'm going for that freshly plagiarized look, or just make me look like a dumb asshole". Either way, mission accomplished.

    IMG_0844 (resized).PNGIMG_0844 (resized).PNG

    IMG_0845 (resized).PNGIMG_0845 (resized).PNG

    #82 6 years ago

    does anybody know this guy? as in, has his cell phone number?

    #83 6 years ago
    Quoted from cfh:

    But i really don't want to hire a lawyer past this...

    Go in with Randy Fromm, and any others involved.

    Might check if he is violating his terms of service with his ISP too.

    LTG : )

    #84 6 years ago

    “Ya got trouble, folks…yes, right here in Dallastown City."
    "Trouble with a capital "T", And that rhymes with "P", and that stands for pinball!”
    (If a person does not understand the relationship to this quote, not just the words, it's the 'Music Man', and has a lot in common)

    Most of the old folks around the world will probably blacklist him, and the pass the information onto others, beyond aspects of the takedowns and all the removal of copyrighted material. This always seems to happen unfortunately, every 10-15 years when you get pinball revival periods and more homeshops open the shutter half doors for new business.

    #85 6 years ago

    If you click on the about us link it says

    "Wild card amusements, a name you can trust since 1989."

    https://www.wildcardamusements.com/page2

    #86 6 years ago
    Quoted from o-din:

    If you click on the about us link it says
    "Wild card amusements, a name you can trust since 1989."

    I am not sure I would personally would put very much credence in his website advertisement either.
    This includes use of internet acquired stock photos of pinball machines he is selling.
    Nor, do I trust lawyers "types" in general.
    No indication he is bar licensed for law practice.

    He supposedly has been operating for 28 years, not considering any breaks for additional education or other jobs.
    But there are a lot of problems with this website "proclamation".

    Based on the owner photograph (BTW, the other photos are OLD) and simple research data, that means he was running fairly early in his life.
    He had to have established Wild Card Amusements when he was 23.
    Five years after graduating high school, to be exact, but we will get to that, including his skill resume.
    According to the numbers, he should be around 51 years old (18 years old in 1984), and this is definitely the same person.

    How did I come up with this number?

    Let's do a complete rundown on Mr. Metzner's education and experience:

    Dallastown Area High School 1981 – 1984
    High School, Academic
    (he graduated in normal years, so he is not some type of prodigy)

    York College of Pennsylvania 2003 – 2005
    Bachelor's Degree, Political Science and Government
    (typical period of attendance)

    University of Baltimore 2005 – 2007
    Master's Degree, Law and Ethics
    (typical period of attendance)

    Concord Law School - Kaplan University 2011 – 2014
    Law
    (Not sure what this is here. It is not a qualified school to train law in most states, as I conducted another quick crosscheck.)

    So he ran this business while going to secondary education, multiple levels of graduate education completely unrelated to coin operation, vending, amusement, engineering, electrical work, or electronics, and while separating working in other jobs since 1989?

    Isn't the internet great!
    Does this make sense to anyone?

    Never seen his business since collecting/restoring games starting in 1988.
    Born in New York, raised in PA not that far away personally from the area even on the days before the internet and word of mouth was the means. "Everybody knew everybody."

    However, the only exception I could think of is if his father/family owned the business, or with a different name, or a number of dealer/parts/brokers in the area did business for the past 30+ years such as Todd, Steve, and a few others such as M&P and the PA Gameroom Warehouse. There are not that many left. Most of the original distributors only are long gone or gobbled up by Betson.

    To me personally, it does not matter, as I am not a lawyer or detective, but I know when pinball smells funky.
    And this smells funky, at best.

    If his goal was get full visibility into the niche world of pinball collecting and people that are knowledgeable, he received his request.
    If the card game was bull$#!@, he would win instead...as a real estate agent with a law and ethics background.

    Another case of an enthusiast "mom and pop" pinball "shutter shop" hanging a shingle for the world to see.

    I see NOTHING related to pinball repair skills on this resume, not particularly encouraging, since again the person has supposedly been in the coin operated industry for 28 YEARS. He certainly would not need to buy Randy Fromm materials years later instead of a month ago, as he would had already had them as lot of the materials was first compiled in the early 90s.

    Eric Mentzer.jpgEric Mentzer.jpg

    #87 6 years ago
    Quoted from cfh:

    does anybody know this guy? as in, has his cell phone number?

    It's in post #5

    #88 6 years ago

    Looks like it's hosted by Google Cloud services. http://network-tools.com/default.asp?prog=network&host=wildcardamusements.com
    "Comment: *** The IP addresses under this Org-ID are in use by Google Cloud customers ***
    Comment:
    Comment: Direct all copyright and legal complaints to
    Comment: https://support.google.com/legal/go/report
    Comment:
    Comment: Direct all spam and abuse complaints to
    Comment: https://support.google.com/code/go/gce_abuse_report
    Comment:
    Comment: For fastest response, use the relevant forms above.
    Comment:
    Comment: Complaints can also be sent to the GC Abuse desk
    Comment: ([email protected])
    Comment: but may have longer turnaround times."

    #89 6 years ago
    Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:

    Looks like it's hosted by Google Cloud services. http://network-tools.com/default.asp?prog=network&host=wildcardamusements.com
    "Comment: *** The IP addresses under this Org-ID are in use by Google Cloud customers ***
    Comment:
    Comment: Direct all copyright and legal complaints to
    Comment: https://support.google.com/legal/go/report
    Comment:
    Comment: Direct all spam and abuse complaints to
    Comment: https://support.google.com/code/go/gce_abuse_report
    Comment:
    Comment: For fastest response, use the relevant forms above.
    Comment:
    Comment: Complaints can also be sent to the GC Abuse desk
    Comment: ([email protected])
    Comment: but may have longer turnaround times."

    It's actually a Wix site, which uses Google's cloud for storage of datas and such. (Is Wix owned by google? maybe?)

    #90 6 years ago
    Quoted from Coyote:

    It's actually a Wix site, which uses Google's cloud for storage of datas and such. (Is Wix owned by google? maybe?)

    No, Wix isn't owned by Alphabet, they do use the Google cloud platform to host customer's sites. Taking this up with Wix would be a good idea. Check out section 10 of Wix's Terms of Use: http://www.wix.com/about/terms-of-use

    When using the Wix Services, you may be exposed to User Websites, User Content or Third Party Services from a variety of sources, which may be inaccurate, offensive, objectionable or illegal. You hereby waive any legal or equitable rights or remedies you have or may have against Wix with respect thereto.

    If you believe a User or any Third Party Services acted inappropriately or otherwise misused any of the Wix Services, please immediately report such User and/or Third Party Service to us via this form. You agree that your report shall not impose any responsibility or liability upon Wix, and that Wix may consider such report and act upon it, refrain from taking any such action or require additional information or documents before doing so, at its sole discretion.

    #91 6 years ago
    Quoted from AbeVigoda:

    No, Wix isn't owned by Alphabet, they do use the Google cloud platform to host customer's sites. Taking this up with Wix would be a good idea. Check out section 10 of Wix's Terms of Use: http://www.wix.com/about/terms-of-use

    Actually, just my experience, this is the second fastest way to get the content taken down, if Wix plays by the rules. The fastest is getting ahold of him. Chances are he really has no desire to get into a major dispute and would take it down himself.

    #92 6 years ago
    Quoted from joe2012:

    This guy has Gottlieb manuals on his site.

    Game over.

    http://www.mondialgroup.com/gottlieb.htm

    #93 6 years ago

    Thanks for the tip about contacting WIX. I just filed a formal complaint.

    Randy Fromm

    #94 6 years ago

    That guy was most likely pleased as Punch when he noticed the 100 or so hits that his website got today, and wondering what happened.

    #96 6 years ago

    Clay is completely proper in his requests. I only hope that his detractors understand. He does not need a black eye over the mess that this asshole created.

    #97 6 years ago
    Quoted from xTheBlackKnightx:

    who is selling a small handjob of pinball machines

    I'm not sure we're looking at the same website.

    #98 6 years ago
    Quoted from nsduprr:

    He does not need a black eye over the mess that this asshole created.

    This Eric guy is a serious piece of shirt though dude...we're talking aboot 2 black eye level assholery.

    #100 6 years ago
    Quoted from TheLaw:

    This Eric guy is a serious piece of shirt though dude...we're talking aboot 2 black eye level assholery.

    I thought he ran the door @ vfw events and a serious piece of shirt you say matter of fact he did sell me a shirt

    There are 465 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 10.

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