More copyright complaints

Free Republic | April 8, 2004 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

As most of you are aware, we've recently received several copyright complaints. In the last few weeks, we've received complaints from the SJ Mercury News, Independent (UK), SF Chronicle and The Boston Globe. Just a couple days ago the Post-Gazette send a cease and desist notice and yesterday I heard from the Tribune-Review.

Tonight, I got a call from Amy and there were two more registered letters at our PO Box. The McClatchy News (Sacramento Bee) and USAToday are now added to the list of publications that have complained about copyright violations.

Well, folks, the handwriting is on the wall. The complaints are now coming in faster than I can respond to them. John is currently in the process of writing programs to search out and automatically excerpt all existing threads from these sources.

I think we're gonna have to go to excerpt and link for all news sources very soon unless we have written permission on file.

[Jim Robinson]

Here's the updated list from a couple days ago:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1111944/posts

I will be adding a few more tonight and will repost the list.

[Rabid Dog]

Well, I think that sucks! But we will do whatever we need to do.

[FreedomCalls]

It smells like an organized campaign.

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[Jim Robinson]

Yes, it certainly does.

[M0sby]

sounds good...we can do it no problem

[Ingtar]

Judging from the number of trolls, complaints about copyrights, and other signs, I believe the Left is really out to silence or tone down our commentary upon their drivel. Perhaps we have done too well?

[eddie willers]

Well....we're certainly must over the target....look at all the flack!

[CatOwner]

Sounds like an orchestrated effort on the "mainstream" media's part to limit FR's effectiveness.

[prisoner6]

PPHHHHHHFFFFTTTTT!

Jerks. Wake up and smell the new millenium.

prisoner6

[July 4th]

Yup, and we're just going to have to be better about excerpting, so that the important points of the story are still there even when the link to the newspaper is dead.

[GeronL]

YUP. The non-partisan, unbiased press... the ones that will review any left-wing book but refuses to review a book by Sean Hannity.. is worried about their articles being read.

I know there are liberal groups sending them e-mails and letters. It will be interesting to see if DU and other websites are allowed to post their articles.

[Richard Kimball]

What's particularly upsetting about this is that the original sources will pull the links, destroying part of what you set up FR to do, which was to create a database that we can search. The old media would never have come up with some of the information on Kerry's flip-flops, etc, if enterprising Freepers hadn't been able to find the source by searching FR. Now, once the original article is pulled from a web site, we will not be able to go back and research, and the opposition will be able to conveniently forget that the politicians have directly contradicted themselves.

[Lijahsbubbe]

It smells like an organized campaign.

It looks as though our access to information is too threatening to them. Information in the hands of the wrong people.We can take it and dissect it and display it to the world, and it looks as if they don't like that.

[Chad Fairbanks]

We need to find someone, or some way, to get our Fair Use rights back. I believe we are systematically being denied our legal rights through an organized campaign for political reasons, and that violates EVERYTHING this nation claims to stand for...

Something needs to be done, and soon.

[aft_lizard]

It smells like an organized campaign.>>

If its organized it must mean we are being effective.

[ladyinred]

No doubt about it Jim, this is an organized hit against this forum.. Wow, we are really powerful aren't we?

WHOO HOO! The liberal media thinks we are a threat! What a compliment Jim!

[Reagan Man]

That's too bad.

Freedom of speech is under assault!

[Jim Robinson]

Could be lefties, could be major media, could be banned trolls, or it could just be one very upset anti-FReeper taking his revenge (don't want to sound paranoid or anything though, LOL). In any case, we knew a long time ago that it would be just a matter of time before we'd get whacked. Looks like the time is upon us.

[DakotaGator]

The forces of darkness are once again trying to stifle the free flow of ideas. Hitler, Stalin, Mao and their ilk must be smiling.

[Moonmad27]

Sorry for all the trouble you're going through, Jim. This is waaaay beyond coincidence. I hate to disappoint that person who's probably gleefully reporting FR to all these media sources; this won't slow us down - frankly most of the time there's far more interesting stuff in the responses than in an article itself!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[NormsRevenge]

Tonight, I got a call from Amy and there were two more registered letters at our PO Box. The McClatchy News (Sacramento Bee) and USAToday are now added to the list of publications that have complained about copyright violations.

---

maybe you should FiRe Amy ? just a thought. ;-) lol

So the Suc Bee swims wid da fishies.. Got it! There are still a few fish left in the deeper waters. ;-)

[Lokibob]

Jim,
You might want to check, but what I understand, Gov't web sites and pubs are NOT protected under copyright laws.

That means White House, NASA, and still a whole host of information sites can still be used.

My 2 cents.

Bob

[My Favorite Headache]

What about if it is linked from Newsmax,Drudge, or another site that is legally hosting that article?

[Quix]

Just pondering, Jim,

Any possible merit to all of us writing (A) complainers and/or (B) those not yet complaining

and, in the interest of freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas--supposedly very American values--they agree to allow our posting of docs as long as a link is included.

Perhaps copies to legislators requesting a change in the copyright law???

Blessings for all your hard work. This is distressing.

One is tempted to blame cheeky folks who hate the truth getting around . . . and/or simply greedy folks.

[jpsb]

Well welcome to the fight, copy rights are a money making scam. Do you know that I have to pay a bunch of lawyer if a band in my bar happens to sing an old Elves song. Copy rights are just a legal shake down lawyer scam.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[eddie willers]

We need to find someone ...

Paging Mr. Scaife.

[thoughtomator]

Maybe we should put together a way to get that written permission on file? A standard how-to that the average Freeper can do to get a source to send you that written permission?

[bootless]

Sounds like we'll have to take control and keep hard copies and/or copies of important stuff on hard drive, for archival and research purposes.

[no-s]

I know it sounds paranoid, but I wonder if this represents a coordinated attempt to render FR less useful. I mean, part of the beauty of this forum is exposing media bias and other less than honest reporting, e.g. "free rides" given to the leftist media darlings. Do you think it's orchestrated?

If you go to an all excerpted version where you link the source, you should at least capture the original and report when it changes (excerpt the changes?). I'm tempted to do this for all of the news I read, just for the heck of it. It's too tempting for some folks out there to change what they say. They act as if copyright gives them the power to rewrite history.

[Jim Robinson]

It felt real strange getting a cease and desist letter from the Tribune-Review.

[Lokibob]

The traditional "Happy Birthday" song is copyrighted.

I understand that Donald Trump is trademarking "Your Fired".

[kitkat]

***I know there are liberal groups sending them e-mails and letters. It will be interesting to see if DU and other websites are allowed to post their articles.***

Absolutely, we may have to UGH review the lib sites to see.

[Mo1]

It smells like an organized campaign.

Because it is (IMO)

[Psycho_Bunny]

Um...never thought I'd say this but; Shouldn't this be IN Breaking News?

[arjay]

Jim: You have worked hard for a long time to bring us such a useful site. I am really sorry to see this kind of things happening.

Excerpts are a pain, but they beat nothing. We must stay the course and fight battle in the best way we can.

I have been around a long time (since '98) and am a monthly contributor. I will do my best to watch your back and work to keep this site open.

Thank you for all your hard work.

[Mo1]

PING

[~Kim4VRWC's~]

I don't understand why the fair use doctrine is being ignored. Does your attorney have anything to say about it? Do the news orgs think this is a for profit site?

[MJY1288]

Whatever it takes Jim, but the way I look at it is this..., just the fact that they are sending you letters about copyrights is proof positive that Free Republic making a huge impact.

[vpintheak]

They should be happy about all the free advertisement. Half of the sources in the posts wouldn't even get a glance if they weren't here. And yes, it does seem like a lefty organized campaign.

[icwhatudo]

Can an excerpt be something other than the first paragraph?

For example-Can I post the 2 or 3 key paragraphs from throughout a 12+ paragraph story and call that an exerpt if Iam linking?

[henderson field]

The only people who would assault free speech are communists. They're not communists, are they?

[Chad Fairbanks]

I'm all for reasonable Copyright Laws and protections - I'd hate to create a work, and have it ripped off. However, I am also in agreement with the Fair Use provisions - what we are doing IS Fair Use...

[richmwill]

I don't get this at all, maybe it's my own ignorance. But how can you "copyright" news and events? If something happens, say with the 9/11 Hearings, and we want to talk about it- how is that violating copyright laws? If it's the linking of articles- what about sites like Drudge, which is about 95% ALL links to other sources? If it's that- how can you copyright a link? I just don't get it.