Remix Metadata Tag to Stop Stealing

pippy2011eight

Rosics wrote:
No support, I don't see why we would need this? As @MagicCoder330 stated:
MagicCoder330 wrote:
Someone could bypass this by converting to .zip and removing the metadata …
And plus, there is a report button. We all need to understand you can report these projects.

CoolLock wrote:
I have an idea to stop this, and it's a metadata tag that states the name of the original creator of the project. If the person straight up downloads the file from the original project, it would save the name of the creator of said project, and if the file was downloaded from a remix, it would save the name of the creator of the original project. This tag would be used so that when the stolen project is uploaded by someone else, the “Thanks to (OC) for the original project (OP).” message would appear as it does in remixes.
Not useful. Just report.

but just reporting might lead to the belif that it's mass reporting

jmdzti_0-0

Rosics wrote:
No support, I don't see why we would need this? As @MagicCoder330 stated:
MagicCoder330 wrote:
Someone could bypass this by converting to .zip and removing the metadata …
And plus, there is a report button. We all need to understand you can report these projects.

CoolLock wrote:
I have an idea to stop this, and it's a metadata tag that states the name of the original creator of the project. If the person straight up downloads the file from the original project, it would save the name of the creator of said project, and if the file was downloaded from a remix, it would save the name of the creator of the original project. This tag would be used so that when the stolen project is uploaded by someone else, the “Thanks to (OC) for the original project (OP).” message would appear as it does in remixes.
Not useful. Just report.

No, I did think about this many times. Turns out if you add a blank file named (with no filetype) to the .sb3 file, it still is perfectly readable.
You can even duplicate the .json file and rename it.

Last edited by jmdzti_0-0 (Oct. 13, 2025 14:48:24)

ajskateboarder

pippy2011eight wrote:
Rosics wrote:
…
CoolLock wrote:
I have an idea to stop this, and it's a metadata tag that states the name of the original creator of the project. If the person straight up downloads the file from the original project, it would save the name of the creator of said project, and if the file was downloaded from a remix, it would save the name of the creator of the original project. This tag would be used so that when the stolen project is uploaded by someone else, the “Thanks to (OC) for the original project (OP).” message would appear as it does in remixes.
Not useful. Just report.
but just reporting might lead to the belif that it's mass reporting

No it wouldn't

But yes, a tag like that would be trivial to patch, even automatically

koalapet1

SMG4fan7236 wrote:
koalapet1 wrote:
SUPE GUYS SUPE!!!!
when green flag clicked
forever
if <[supe] = [full support]> then
broadcast [ evil kumquat ]
end
end
when I receive [ evil kumquat]
say [LETS GOOOOOOO]
please say why you support

I support this because so projects will not be confusing also they should use the © symbol in their projects

CoolLock

Bump, because even though this suggestion was controversial I still stand by my idea

CoolLock

Bump

Imtwentytenth

koalapet1 wrote:
SMG4fan7236 wrote:
koalapet1 wrote:
SUPE GUYS SUPE!!!!
when green flag clicked
forever
if <[supe] = [full support]> then
broadcast [ evil kumquat ]
end
end
when I receive [ evil kumquat]
say [LETS GOOOOOOO]
please say why you support
I support this because so projects will not be confusing also they should use the © symbol in their projects

I think that’s too much, cause scratch projects don’t have a copyright mark

IloveRoblox003

Rosics wrote:
No support, I don't see why we would need this? As @MagicCoder330 stated:
MagicCoder330 wrote:
Someone could bypass this by converting to .zip and removing the metadata …
And plus, there is a report button. We all need to understand you can report these projects.

CoolLock wrote:
I have an idea to stop this, and it's a metadata tag that states the name of the original creator of the project. If the person straight up downloads the file from the original project, it would save the name of the creator of said project, and if the file was downloaded from a remix, it would save the name of the creator of the original project. This tag would be used so that when the stolen project is uploaded by someone else, the “Thanks to (OC) for the original project (OP).” message would appear as it does in remixes.
Not useful. Just report.

And yet, you cannot always find the original project.

Reporting reports to the scratch team, but reporting does not let you find the original copy.

Adding this feature could help find plagiarists, support

MagicMaster14

tagrim123 wrote:
full support, a project that was completely stolen got featured once.

yooo that was my project! im the one who stole it!

CoolLock

MagicMaster14 wrote:
tagrim123 wrote:
full support, a project that was completely stolen got featured once.
yooo that was my project! im the one who stole it!

/deleted

Last edited by CoolLock (Oct. 7, 2025 19:03:15)

IloveRoblox003

CoolLock wrote:
MagicMaster14 wrote:
tagrim123 wrote:
full support, a project that was completely stolen got featured once.
yooo that was my project! im the one who stole it!
1. Are you serious?
2. Why would you even say that/brag about that?

They aren't serious, the copyleft-infringer is already banned

gdfsgdfsgdfg

here are my solutions to “scratchers removing metadata”

make the filename different (so no-stealer would notice that instantly)
encrypt metadata (so it’s not easy to edit)
the project file won’t be opened without the metadata (to prevent issues with the offline editor, the metadata will only be added to shared projects)

of-course it gets detected by filter, so I have to edit-out the encryption methods

Last edited by gdfsgdfsgdfg (Oct. 7, 2025 21:37:14)

CoolLock

Bump

orrymor

Rosics wrote:
And plus, there is a report button. We all need to understand you can report these projects.

Yes, but how are you gong to find them?

IloveRoblox003

orrymor wrote:
Rosics wrote:
And plus, there is a report button. We all need to understand you can report these projects.
Yes, but how are you gong to find them?

Exactly! This suggestion isnt about some alternate way to report projects; it's about helping to find reportable projects

AquaKelpie53

I 100% agree with this suggestion, as crediting is very important, especially on this platform as it is important for kids to learn that you can't just take whatever you want online, they don't teach you about copyright/crediting very well in school (at least not until later years).

CoolLock

Bump

CoolLock

Bump

CoolLock

Bump

jmdzti_0-0

bringing this up again:

Turns out Scratch ignores file types it doesn’t recognize, so adding a blank file without a filename wouldn’t affect the project’s readability.
You can even duplicate the .json file and rename it.

Now, I’m not sure if the file will save when you download the project or not.

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