Drawar

What?
I don't see it anywhere. Can you post a direct link or screenshot, please?

This is what i see right now.

Could the logo be added afterwards to the stream? Text below it makes no sense to me.

I don't see it and the whole stream interface is giving me undefined errors, and those are the best errors!

I see it, definitely 9rule's logo. No idea what it's doing there though?

Yeah, the logo in the screenshot is 9rules'.

@Bartoneus, Do you see it in the stream, or just on the screenshot? I'm getting the same errors as silvertje on the page itself.

The page doesn't work for me neather, had to download TVUPlayer in order to see the channel(s).

I definitely see it in the upper right corner...and it looks as if there is an "8" at the end, on the far right of the logo.

I don't think it's an eight. I don't think that's English, either. Where's Rich? Rich is good at symbol deciphering.

It isn't necessarily an "8", as I had stated. It just appears that way to me, but the logo itself has definitely been copied.

Hello! I have arrived.

Given the station's name, I'm assuming it's Vatteluttu--the writing system used for the Tamil language. I don't, however, have a clue what the symbol is. But you might find it on here somewhere providing your browser has support for Indic characters--which, if it's Mozilla based, it does not. (Edit: Never mind, it uses images. The link should work anywhere.)

It looks to me, using that link as a reference, like it might say "Tamil"--but that doesn't account for the eight-like symbol. The script has over 200 combinant letters though (letters that are formed by adding vowel markers to consonants) so maybe it's a variation on another character. Or maybe it's just an 8! Who knows? Maybe Dr Cool will come back and enlighten us.

I conferred with the guys in #linguistics and it is indeed Vatteluttu. No luck translating yet though.

Ok, I think I've got it. It says "Tamil TV" I think. Those last two characters--the vertical line followed by the apparent eight--say "TV" I believe. Rather than an eight, that top part that, if you look closely, isn't attached, is probably a puḷḷi used to suppress the inherent vowel.

The Tamil script is an abugida. The basic form of every consonant has an inherent vowel a--the basic form of "v" for example is "va". You have to modify it to either produce a different vowel or suppress it altogether, leaving just "v". The sign used to suppress the vowel, leaving a pure consonant, is always an overdot, called a puḷḷi in Tamil.

That's my best guess. Anyway.

I just used the "8" as an example of what was identifiable to me, personally, not as an example of what it actually was. Now that we can see it in full, it clearly is not an "8".

The real issue is the fact that the 9rules logo is being used.

Bingo, I found Mathuram TV guilty! Seems to been operating since last May. Thanks for the hints, Rich.

Awesome. Thanks to the higher res logo you linked, it's almost easy now.

There are obviously four distinct symbols in play here.

The second one I am certain represents "tu", and the third is "r". (These are all heavily stylised, but it's still obvious.) As for the first and last: Both are "m" symbols.

Remember the puḷḷi? That first symbol doesn't have one, thus it is "ma". That last one does, thus it is just "m".

Which, when you put it all together, gives us "Maturm".

The missing "h" seems acceptable, but I'm not sure about the missing "a". I think perhaps that overdot may be a specific one that indicates the inherent a moves to before the symbol rather than after. But I wouldn't want to be quoted on that, just a guess.

Mystery solved, non?

God it feels good to almost get that. Wish I had more time to look into it, but I am expected at a poker tournament now. Boo.

Hah, you guys are awesome. Massive detective work, Rich. I knew you'd crack that code ;) And Joe, nice find!

That's so insane. They didn't even bother changing the colors. But anyway, mystery of the stolen logo solved ... *Resisting urge to quote cheesy Scooby Doo saying*

Scooby snack, anyone?

Pretty well solved Rich! Notified 9rules.

I think you did by posting this... :)

Thanks for letting me know (I got the email). I told Mike about an Indian TV station using the logo a couple of months ago but I think this is a different one. o_O

edit: The email I got a couple of months ago the person was watching TV and say the logo. That pissed me off royally.

Argh, things like this really push my buttons. People should start learning that if you rip something off it will not only come back to bite you, but it proves how sad and uncreative you are to begin with.

(I do realize sometimes there are two very similar logos or ideas out at nearly the same time, or even different times, but that is very clearly an exact copy of the 9rules logo)

Bingo: I found what that Tamil script says, its : MUTHURAAM
Might be a name of a person.. ar anything like that..

I am a keralite,near to Tamil Nadu and Malayaalam Is my Language which is actually evolved from Tamil Vattezhuttu.

But this is too bad to copy the logo of a unique and popular site on the web.. its just a #Copy of 9rules.. no modifications too...

It sucks that they copied the logo, but I'm sure that the 9rules lawyers will all agree. This is a perfect opportunity for 9rules. You guys get a TV station, I think it is awesome. You should do 24-7 "video notes" on it.

We have contacted them and are awaiting a response. To nobody's surprise they will probably attempt to ignore us and if so may there TV careers burn down quicker than the cast of Different Strokes.

Nice to hear, hope u get in touch. Let us know if you get to an agreement.

Btw. now I remember that at least Toyota did the same last year and again this year.