Cease and Desist... copyright complaint from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

VIA email from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | 04/05/2004 | Corey Waugaman, PG Permissions Department

[Jim Robinson]

Subject: Cease and Desist...

Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:10:47 -0400

From: Corey Waugaman

To: Susan Kish , "'webmaster@freerepublic.com'"

To Whom It May Concern:

It has been brought to our attention that you have republished Pittsburgh Post-Gazette material without permission. This is a direct violation of the Copyright Law of 1976. Please cease and desist immediately.

It is the policy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette not permit the posting of our material on any web site but our own.

Material to be removed:

Allegiance to party complicates local race for incumbent Diven

All eggs are not created equal

CMU slur brings apology

AND ANY OTHER POST-GAZETTE MATERIAL

Please remove all of our material from your web site within 24 hours. Periodic checks will be made to verify your compliance. If the material has not been removed within the allotted time, legal action will be taken.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Corey Waugaman

PG Permissions Department

[jackbill]

There's only one liberal in my extended family. He's a journalist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

When did they start hiring journalists? Wonders never cease.

[philetus]

Pittsburgh Post Gazette 800 number

They have this free number because they want to hear from all of us.


Customer Service: 1-800-228-NEWS (6397)

[philetus]

Nevermind. It's a call center in N. Carolina.

[Willie Green]

It could be they have a clipping service that checks for copyright violations. Or maybe just someone at the paper doing searches.

Posted articles sometimes contain the author's email address,
and I assume they must sometimes receive emails from our forum participants.
While it hasn't happened often, I can recall instances where the author has registered and entered into the discussion of their article. (I vaguely remember this happening with one of the Pittsburgh papers, but can't recall whether it was the P-G or the Tribune-Review.)

Anyway, that is another avenue by which they become aware of our discussions.

[TYVets]

"So, who's bringing this stuff to these papers' attention. "

Let me guess:

#1. Their Banker

#2. Their Accountants

[MineralMan]

"Posted articles sometimes contain the author's email address,
and I assume they must sometimes receive emails from our forum participants.
While it hasn't happened often, I can recall instances where the author has registered and entered into the discussion of their article. (I vaguely remember this happening with one of the Pittsburgh papers, but can't recall whether it was the P-G or the Tribune-Review.)"

That makes sense. It seems to me that FR is going to get moved to a position where posting excerpts is the only way we'll be able to deal with it.

I have no problem with that, although I do dislike excerpted stories where the originating site requires a subscription.

Still, I think that excerpting is finally going to have to become the standard here.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I'll go them one better and not go to their site at all. It's my right.

[Libloather]

Allegiance to party complicates local race for incumbent Diven
All eggs are not created equal
CMU slur brings apology

Sounds like some real breaking news there. Cease? Maybe. Desist? I dunno...

[Jim Robinson]

Received another very nice reply from the Post-Gazette. They originally asked for a removal of the posts in question. I asked if excerpts and links would be acceptable. They said excerpts and links would be fine and thanked us for bringing attention to their paper (though some of it is negative).

We have had a couple others (The Onion for example) that would not even allow excerpts. They wanted Links only. Yeah, right. Just doesn't make much sense to post a title and link only. Doesn't leave much to discuss. LOL

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Many NewsMax articles are simply rewrites of other paper's reports: "According to AP, etc. etc."

"Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Picayune reports that all eggs are not created equal. They say etc. etc."

[Willie Green]

Still, I think that excerpting is finally going to have to become the standard here.

In the long run, that appears to be the most pragmatic compromise.
Like most, I prefer the convenience of fully posted articles.
But realisticly, the original media outlets can't afford to publish this information for "free" on the Internet forever, they have to generate supporting revenues somehow. So posting excerpts offers them a reasonable opportunity for increasing traffic at their own website (and advertising). It sounds pragmatic to me, anyway.

[Robert_Paulson2]

check our logs... see if they are sending a robot that is ignoring our robots text * deny all spec.

and then sue them for illegal spidering.
or perhaps you could bait the spider... and have a freephacker code a spider nest booby trap for it.

[SoothingDave]

Received another very nice reply from the Post-Gazette. They originally asked for a removal of the posts in question. I asked if excerpts and links would be acceptable. They said excerpts and links would be fine and thanked us for bringing attention to their paper (though some of it is negative).

Amazing what a little competition (from the Tribune Review) will do for the reasonableness of a big city liberal paper.

I second the notion of automatically including the Toledo Blade, as it's owned by the same group.

SD

[MEG33]

Despite the objections of many Freepers ,we may end up excerpting all sources.The San Francisco Chronicle,SFGate have also sent notice not to post full article.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I got this in an email today, seems appropriate...

[coloradan]

It is the policy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette not permit the posting of our material on any web site but our own.

[snip]

Please remove all of our material from your web site within 24 hours. Periodic checks will be made to verify your compliance.

Translation: We want the number of people reading our stuff to go down, and the number of people reading your stuff to go up.

[Jim Robinson]

Ok, the toledoblade.com is now on the excerpt and link only list.
Jim

[antiRepublicrat]

Aw, looks like Jim decided to play nice. Where's the fun in that?

[spodefly]

Is someone ratting out FR?

Here is a post from Fark.com ... we had a link there last week when we had the DNS issues with the ISP. I suspect that the kind, progressive souls at DU and other site have similar preoccupations as CaptainFatass:
------------------------------

2004-03-26 01:00:17 AM

CaptainFatass

Huh, all those fundraising drives and RimJob can't even keep the lights on.

Oh, and slayer199, I have three words for you: Richard Mellon Scaife.

Doesn't matter if they go back on now; I've got four or five reports in to various newspapers right now, alerting them that FR posts their articles in full, and urging them to sue for copyright issues. Can't believe they're still dumb enough to post full articles.
----------------------------

[MEG33]

Being influencial does have its drawbacks!Nasty little left wingers don't like us ,it would appear.

[Willie Green]

They said excerpts and links would be fine and thanked us for bringing attention to their paper (though some of it is negative).

Thanks, Jim. It sounds like a reasonable compromise to me.

[Jim Robinson]

As promised above, here's an alphabetical list of the sites that have complained about copyright violations thus far. The posting program will only allow excerpts and or deny posting where designated from the following sites:

These sites must be excerpted and linked only:

aim.org
baltimoresun.com
bayarea.com
boxofficemojo.com
bsudailynews.com
cavalierdaily.com
chicagotribune.com
ctnow.com
daily-chronicle.com
dailypress.com
gallup.com
gazette.net
GCN.com
goerie.com
greenwichtime.com
gwpi.net
heraldnet.com
holahoy.com
jewishworldreview.com
laopinion.com
latimes.com
mcall.com
mercurynews.com
msn.com
msnbc.com
nationalweekly.com
newsday.com
nynewsday.com
oregonmag.com
orlandosentinel.com
post-gazette.com
postwritersgroup.com
sfgate.com
sitepoint.com
sjmercury.com
spokesman-recorder.com
stamfordadvocate.com
startribune.com
sun-sentinel.com
sunspot.net
toledoblade.com
tribune.com
washingtonpost.com
washingtontechnology.com
washpostco.com
worldpress.org
wral.com


These publishers have asked us not to allow any material at all to be posted to FR:

americanpolitics.com
antiwar.com
eweek.com
extremetech.com
independent.co.uk
newyorker.com
pcmag.com
studlife.com
theonion.com
thetowntalk.com
universitystar.com
washingtondispatch.com

I'll also be posting this a little later on a thread of it's own. And later yet, John can add a link to it from our posting program.

Thanks,

Jim

[Willie Green]

Pingin' some of the yinzers to spread the word.

[Willie Green]

ping

[MadelineZapeezda]

To the Pits Post Gazette......I CEASED recieving your newspaper when I lived in Pittsburgh,opting for the Tribune. I will now CEASE to recieve your Sunday paper that I have delivered out of state here in WV. I'll call first thing in the a.m.

[Badray]

"Why do these guys have to be so nasty about it?"

These guys are getting the asses handed to them by the conservative Pittsburgh Tribune Review already. There is less and less reason to read their rag and they are trying to hang onto their jobs.

Besides that, they're a$$401@$.

[Badray]

Jim,

Is there a mechanism to prevent someone from posting an entire article (either by mistake or as an attempt to cause trouble)?

[Jim Robinson]

We catch most of them.

[lewislynn]

You could simply state any stats or info in the article.

And then when you get the inevitable "where's your link for that"?

[lewislynn]

Nevermind. It's a call center in N. Carolina.

Former textile workers?

[piasa]

Just curious... what would they do if we archived a screenshot or photocopy of an article?

[Jim Robinson]

They'd probably send me a copyright violation complaint.

[Lancey Howard]

No sweat, Jim.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is roughly as well-written and informative as the Daily Collegian out of Penn State. Just as liberal, too. These are people who can't get real jobs so they "write" for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. No loss.

[KC Burke]

In the sheltering of Clinton criminality, there was a large incidence of posted items being changed and re-edited by higher ranking journalists contoling what got out. Some things even dissappeared.

This seems to have passed and the excerpting some of what we find isn't too prohibative.

I still can't bring myself to register for the WashCompost however.

[piasa]

I don't doubt it...

Maybe we could get away with it if we photocopied it and stuck it in a bottle of urine and called it 'art?'

Heck, maybe we could get an NEA grant if we pasted articles on elephant dung - provided we explain that it is a multimedia collage. We could then take photos of our creations and make on-line gallery brochures.

[Criminal Number 18F]

There's only one liberal in my extended family. He's a journalist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Tell his boss that you and the rest of the family are conservatives. Get him fired!

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Criminal Number 18F]

There's only one liberal in my extended family. He's a journalist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Tell his boss that you and the rest of the family are conservatives. Get him fired!

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Las Vegas Dave]

My thoughts exactly!

Can FR pursue legal action against postgeezerette, et.al. ?

[prisoner6]

Hmmmm....!

prisoner6

[prisoner6]

Nevermind. It's a call center in N. Carolina.

SOooo...the socialists at the P-G OUTSOURCED PA JOBS TO FREAKIN' NORTH CAROLINA! I'm SHOCKED and OUTRAGED I tell yunz!

prisoner6

[prisoner6]

Probably Dennis Roddy...I know he's lurked here...I've had several exchanges with him. He once interviewed the 'Burgh chapter when we demonstrated x42 when he spoke here.

prisoner6

[prisoner6]

GOOD CATCH! With your post I remember reading that on FARK.

prisoner6

[prisoner6]

Well I have to chime in here. AFAIC the Trib was a nice paper when it was Greensburg. They had several features I enjoyed. When they began evolvling to a PGH paper they dropped alot of the stuff I liked.

But the BIG problem for me is the writing...it's all formated. No personality at all in the news stories. They probably take newbies, kidz from school and have them fill in the blanks. The PG is much better (writing wise) and has more personality despite it's socialist leanings.

Plus the Trib has to upgrade and "burgh-ize" it's want ads more. Of course I don't buy either paper, but I have to read through both everyday at work. I always feel so dirty after wading through the PG editorials...

prisoner6

[pittsburgh gop guy]

They suck! And Jack Kelly is the only thing worth reading in that rag - a self-proclaimed "ONE OF AMERICA'S GREAT NEWSPAPERS" - uh, if you say so.....

But, yes, I will comply....

[eeriegeno]

Hmmm, it seems that a newspaper would want its words published in as many places as possible, as long as credit is given to the source of the article. Maybe the PPG is afraid that their bias will be discovered as websites like FR disects those words???????

[Petronski]

"It has been called to my attention..."

Do you get the feeling someone is dutifully 'calling it' to everyone's attention?

[AppyPappy]

True but there is nothing you can do about it. We don't own the actual article.

[Vermont Lt]

As someone who makes a living off copyrighted material (photographs) I have to appreciate their right to protect their business.

We live in a capitalist society. I am free to produce my own artistic and journalistic work. I am free to publish and distribute it as I see fit. However, I am also free to protect my investment in time, equipment, and future income.

They are not saying "dont link to our page"; they are simply protecting their work.

Respect the principal. I mean, you dont' download music written by someone else do you?

[SoothingDave]

Plus the Trib has to upgrade and "burgh-ize" it's want ads more.

As it grows, this would be a natural development. The PG still outsells on Sunday by double, roughly, so more people advertise in and look in it for want ads. But the PG numbers are on a steay decline and the Trib is rising. So at some point it will tip and more ads will start appearing.

Of course I don't buy either paper, but I have to read through both everyday at work. I always feel so dirty after wading through the PG editorials...

Oh my, did you read last Sunday's editorial by 2 (it took 2?) "experts" on medicare (or was it social security?), saying "let's worry about today today, tomorrow will take care of itself"? Horrendous.

SD

[Drago]

Good post...I agree.

"...I mean, you dont' download music written by someone else do you?"

{wink wink} {grin} Have you seen this Saturday night thread?

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