Associated Press: Fair Use Limits You To Four Words; Five Words Costs $12.50

techdirt.com ^ | June 17, 2008 | from the make-it-stop dept

[donna]

Ha! AP is in a hole and throwing dirt on itself, LOL.

[agere_contra]

Is it ok if we just link to their stuff without quoting (and - of course, without fail - add the AsininePr*cks keyword?)

[DoughtyOne]

I don’t see how this can possibly pass First Amendment rights to free discussion of issues. If the AP puts information into the public domain, the public should have a right to address what it has said. How do you do that without quoting more than four words.

What the A.P. seems to want is a society where it and only it can desminate ‘truth’, and if anyone dares object, they deserve a fine based on how boldly they take it to task.

If you disagree with just one issue, you can’t even address it without breaking A.P.’s rules. And if you have issues with five or six things within an article (which isn’t all that infrequent), there’s no way you could address them without mentioning what A.P. said in the first place. Chaching! Chaching! Chaching!

You can’t even quote a headline that’s longer than four words.

Screw that nose. To hell with them. Papers pick up what they have published. We’ll address the issues from there.

Heaven only knows what this SCOTUS would rule on an issue like this, with their heads so firmly implanted.

[SmithL]

So, the AssPress doesn’t want us saying bad things about them, huh?

[Petronski]

Perhaps some homebrew artwork will enhance this fine thread.

[mewzilla]

From this link.....

AP tries gutting fair use

The AP's new policy also offers hefty rewards for people to rat each other out for violations.

Charming.

[Constitution Day]

How ridiculous!

[null and void]

Running as fast as I can to get away from you!

I always knew Jim Rob could do that...

[donna]

We can have better threads posting what was left out of the AP report. That’s the part I always liked best anyway.

[PhilDragoo]

[zeestephen]

Is AP one word or two?

I can’t afford a $12.50 mistake.

[Liberty Valance]

http://www.ap.org/annual08/

AP Annual Meeting and Luncheon / April 14, 2008
Guest speakers were ....
.......wait for it .....
....yep thats right .... ! .....

John McCain and Barack Obama

[PRO 1]

I don’t believe the Associated Press is due the respect of their initials “AP”.

I ALWAYS refer to them as the ASS Press.

[Congressman Billybob]

My understanding of the "fair use" doctrine is that it is an exception to copyright protection that was established by Congress. Since that exception has been ruled as constitutional, it means the attempt to force a paid license on a mere five words by the AP is unconstitutional.

It is your site, JimRob, and I/we will abide your conditions. But as a frequent excerpter of AP stories on a different website (www.theacru.org), I'd suggest that the proper response is to stick it in the nose of the AP by continuing to make fair use quotations from articles.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Gravity: Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law"

[Liberty Valance]

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/is-the-ap-good-for-america/

Our friends at PajamasMedia have similar questions ...

Is the Associated Press Good for America?

[Orange1998]

Moderators need to take a look at this. ROFLMAO Fair Play. sarcasm

[MARTIAL MONK]

Hows about 5 cents for 1250 words.

[Eleutherios]

What rate of royalty does the AP pay to
those whose words and actions
the AP chronicles for its private gain ?

[Earthdweller]

[NicknamedBob]

I want to write for them.

At those rates, I figure my poem “Before There Was Dirt” should net me $6000.

I guess I’d have to let the regular length ones go for a hundred apiece. That seems fair.