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.

[mo]

Jim-can we write a program to automatically register and sign in on these sites as we link to them?

[AppyPappy]

Silly, but it may be legal. In deference, we could run it through the hillbilly translater.

And so Grand Wizard Byrd ast ole Rummy "Whar them weapons o mass destruction at?"

[mo]

I wonder if there are utilities that "re-write" a piece into a generic reformulation bearing no grammmatical or structural relationship to the original article?

[BSunday]

Just a thought, and probably an impractical one. What if we did research and compiled our own news ? I'll give you an example thread here shortly.

[mewzilla]

You know, these rags are really shooting themselves in the foot. I'll bet most of the complaining papers have circulation figs that are declining. FR is at least getting people to look at their product. If they're making a stink, I'll do whatever JimRob asks to keep them off his back, but I think their politics definitely outweighs their business sense. And that's probably why their circulation figs are going south.

[sweetliberty]

"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"

This is my biggest worry too. That, and even with current articles, many of us don't bother with links to sources that require registering, and personally, unless the article is particularly riveting, I don't generally bother clicking on the source links at all if the article is excerpted.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is an organized campaign. If they could just get rid of Fox news on TV, Rush (and other popular conservative radio hosts) on radio and FR on the web, they could go back to fleecing the drooling sheeple unchallenged. I'm sure that is their intent.

[AppyPappy]

They think they are "saving journalism".

[mewzilla]

Judging from their product, they wouldn't know journalism if it bit them on their collective behind.

[RaceBannon]

All we have to do is re-word the original article anyways, so, it is only a speed bump!

[sweetliberty]

Probably completely unrelated, but I had a bunch of port scan attacks detected yesterday by my firewall. When I had them traced, most were coming from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and there were 2 others from news sources, one in Florida and I forget where (and what) the other one was. I thought it odd at the time. Then you posted this last night. I keep FR open all the time the computer is on, which is most of the time and I'm on cable modem. I wonder if others here have experienced anything similar and if it is in any way related.

[Reagan Renaissance]

Great find. The Internet Archive has the potential to be a tremendous resource. Thanks for the link.

[teeman8r]

whatever happened to a free press? if they can print what they want to, why aren't we given equal protection under the law in discussing what they print...

who needs them...

teeman

[Reagan Renaissance]

I hope some of the legal minds that frequent this site, have some thoughts about how best to use the fair use doctrine and other aspects of the copyright law that may be relevant to this site. And I hope they have some thoughts about who bears the burden of proof.

When they put stuff on the web, it is intended for public consumption without fee, no matter how much revenue they derive from advertising or subscription. They can't have it both ways. I hope our legal eagles will have some input for Congressional legislation for forth coming revisions of the copyright laws.

[sweetliberty]

"We should initiate a "bullet point" system where FReepers go through articles and list all the new/salient details when we aren't allowed to post. That will piss them off even more, without violating anything!"

I rather like that idea. What they are trying to do, in effect, is censor (and control) information. It would be a real pain, but by posting facts, quotes and relevant information in that fashion, the only thing that would really be lost would be the interpretation of the idiotic journalist who authored it, and the need to bother with their rags at all.

[sweetliberty]

"I like that idea. In addition, the "excerpt" should also include liks to the newspaper's advertisers -- so we can all send e-mails telling them why we won't do business with them anymore."

I like that idea too.

[zip]

need more?

[sweetliberty]

"as FReepers respond to the posted, excerpted article, they could "quote" the next paragraph in the article, and eventually the whole article is posted anyway, just in bits and pieces"

Yeah. I usually find the posts more informative and entertaining than the original articles anyway. Of course, a lot of the "informative" part is due to links to previous articles. We are being unfairly targeted in the interest of confining and regulating our freedon of speech (only the lying lefties are allowed to say what they want to say) to the extent that we are in a virtual cage. Where's the freedom in that? Any voice that interferes with their agenda must be silenced. FReepers are hard-headed, intelligent and contrary. We will find a way to beat them at their own game. We must. It's our job.

[Tolik]

We have a ton of talented FReepers just itching to be part of a new and exciting branch of FR. This isn't the end, this is just the beginning. FR News service is right around the corner, with a staff of volunteer reporters.

Very good idea. It's almost defacto working already.
To support it with another example, just look at the freeper coverage of local-turned-national news: its better than the official news (IMO). Remember Columbia sad day?

The only objection I have is to use of "frogs": too French and smells cheezy :))

"frarticle" is good.
FRNews is excellent.

[CedarDave]

Jim said on an earlier thread that he (FR) doesn't have the funds to fight for defending the "fair use" exception in the copyright act. I'd like to see the next FReepathon devoted solely to raising money for legal defense of "fair use". Also, I would contribute at least $50 to a special fund set up to retain the legal counsel needed to pursue such an effort.

[sweetliberty]

"Nothing would terrorize the Left more than hundreds or thousands of bored, inquisitive FReepers with nothing to do but LexNex"

Teehee...I find that thought delightfully amusing.