Posted on 07/01/2008 8:15:17 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Bloggers: Big Media Is Watching As content recognition software gets more sophisticated, expect more copyright-related battles online like the recent AP-blogger flap
by Peter Burrows
The Associated Press unleashed a firestorm in the blogosphere earlier this month when it demanded that a political site take down AP content it said violated copyrights. Bloggers, including Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.com and Markos Moulitas of Daily Kos, cried foul, saying the AP's move threatened the free flow of information over the Web. The furor abated a few days later when the AP tempered its demands.
But the dustup between the AP and bloggers was just an early skirmish in what's likely to become a protracted war over how and where media content is published online. On one side are bloggers and other Web sites eager to ensure continued access to information. On the other are media companies intent on controlling or cashing in on the dissemination of their stories, videos, and other digital media. One reason: For the first time, content owners are able to track exactly where and how their words and images show up, thanks to an emerging class of technology called content recognition systems.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
DoD should start copyrighting everything they have and sue AP into the stone age everytime something is leaked.
Ok, so how do we stop them from getting news from us?
Amen.
Also... If only the DOJ would do the same re: leaks on the hill/floor.
When we said “free press”, we didn’t mean for you.
-The American Left
Associated Press plans to copyright the letters of the English alphabet.
you can’t. They’ll change a word and it’s theirs. Sue them and $4 million and 12 years later you’ll have to give up.
....The Marxist Congress will probably aid and abet this mob with some nice new laws once they are sworn in this coming January.....
The Democrats and especially the Civil Rights types have taught us to simply ignore such laws. There is a bigger principle at stake.
Features like transclusion and micropayment royalties and fair use parameters should have been part of the original design. Instead, we have exorbitant copyright fee demands and constantly-breaking links.
If we are not vigilant we’ll go back to the days when there were four news outlets- the three networks and the local paper. Back in the day, oddly enough, they all seemed to provide the same content.
Wow, they’re even going after DailyKos.
This could get good.
Is there such as a blanket copyright possible for FR that covers all registered members ?
Stop these asshats from posting OUR threads and comments !
You’re right. This is where I come not just for discussion, but to follow the news. FR is the best newsgathering entity I know of. If something happens, it will be posted on here in very short order.
So crap like this really is a big deal with far-reaching implications.
MM
Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen - since all published and posted DOD material is public domain.
OTOH, properly marked classified material that finds its way into the press is an entirely different story. That the Press is not prosecuted for those leaks is telling...
Videos seems to be the main focus of the technology. It says it uses a digital fingerprint, so what if you excerpt without copy-paste? Literally retype the article in word and then post? Not trying to get around them per se, but as pointed out in the article using things legally.
In addition it is funny how the example of book review is used in the article instead of clearly stating comment and criticism. Which is exactly what we do here on Free Republic. Articles are posted for comment and criticism about our political process.
As a condition of access and in return for posting privileges, it is possible for you to assign your copyright rights as part of the account agreement. I do not believe FR does that, in part because the liability would probably transfer as well.
My computer is set to accept Yahoo cookies because I use the mail program. Almost every day, I delete the temp internet files and then view what’s left to manually delete unwanted cookies (and keep others). One of them (generated from the mail program) appears to be of the tracking type. Well, it’s one with a very abbreviated filename, like a couple of others that spyware programs have flagged in the past as tracking cookies. I’m not a cookie expert or unnecessarily paranoid; I just do daily housecleaning.
So much for the usual nonsense. About three days ago I noticed two more cookies like that. Never seen them before. They came from yahoo and both had “ap” in the filenames. I don’t know if they were put there after accessing a news story through the email interface, or from cruising through AP stories on Yahoo’s news page, or from somewhere else with an AP article.
I go to those sorts of pages daily but I haven’t seen those cookies appear again. Yet. Kind of strange.
How do you propose that providers of content get reimbursed?
I challenge you on that statement.
While some stories are broken by FReepers, most often, it's FReepers taking the work of others and spreading it here.
While most FReepers would be rather upset if the fruits of their labor were taken by the government, or an illegal alien, or even a neighbor, many seem all-too-willing to deny compensation to those who do the work of primary news reporting.
Keep it up, and we can guarantee even less government accountability along with more liberal reporting, as the only ones inthe business will be those who don't care at all about making a living and are there for activist reasons.
NewsGATHERING—perhaps a better word is news-aggregation—not reporting, not writing. Big difference, and I surely don’t know of any site that works any harder to respect the creators and play by the rules.
FWIW, I am a writer myself, have published 50ish articles in national magazines. One of my children is a reporter. I am also an inventor whose work was infringed by knockoff artists. So, believe me when I say I have great respect for the intellectual property of others.
MM
I get your point, but the FedGov cannot copyright anything it produces.
Both the AP and bloggers need to find a middle ground. Some blogs are successful businesses that should pay, but most are labors of love that clearly fall under the fair use exemptions.
I won't post it here, but this article attests to her bias. She should be receiving a weekly check from the the DNC.
Jennifer Loven, Democratic Operative
Or, this one....
I have little doubt that is was people like her who were ticked off that their propaganda was being exposed at sites like Free Republic.
If I might be so bold as to paraphrase the infamous Soup Nazi, “No free press for you!”
Great quote for a bumper sticker. Annoy the liberals!!
No one should be sued for showing others what the mainstream media is spewing. It’s called free speech and reasonable use of material.
Lord, it’s posts like this that make me wonder if there is any future for conservatism in the US.
News outlets own the stories they create. They pay for them, they emoploy the reporters, it is their own personal property. Legally and MORALLY Yhey should be able to control how they are used and it is not unreasonable for them to try to make a profit off of them.
Some people here talk like they have some right to this product of someone elses sweat and wallet. You don’t. Others talk as if it FR and sites like it won’t be able to operate. Baloney. You will always be able to go to their website, read the info and come back here to discuss it.
To those of you claiming a fair use application to what goes on here, you don’t know what you are talking about so quit looking ignorant.
You don't even understand what AP is doing do you?
How do you discuss something you can not quote or reference from because they want to charge you for the words they strung together? They are definately being unreasonable asshats like most DBM/dems. Yes, they have their right to ask for compensation for their work, and the people have the right to turn away from their product and tell them to go pound sand.
This kind of nonsense will financially ruin them. I've always thought the AP was just another DNC press op anyway, so who needs their propoganda. Their is plenty of unbiased news everywhere and just because the AP spins it to fit their liberal agenda doesn't mean we have to discuss it, at all!
It appears, nothing. They know they will never win a court action to maintain total control over every single word they write. They have the right to maintain control over the entire property, even most of it, but they will never be able to keep people from qouting or using small excerpts for discussion, analysis or satire.
Their are exceptions because there are several “tests” to the fair use law. But for the most part this law was put in place to allow people to use portions of copyrighted work for discussion, education, etc.
All the AP and other news providers want is to be able to failry control how their product is used and distributed, and make some money off it if they can. If they try to exert control over every word, quote, etc, I believe strongly this will be struck down by the courts.
nothing says you can’t say on a blog... according to ap this or that... just don’t copy the article....
t
btt
You sure you got the right photo?
It's not possible to even discuss what they really did without triggering their standard.
That's why they are banned from FreeRepublic.
They can set any “standard” they want, it has to survive a court test.
And 4 words ain’t going to make it.
Banning them from FR only hurts FR. I would rather see Jim defy them and urge a lawsuit. There would be at least a couple dozen competent attorneys/firms that would take up that challenge pro bono.
And think of all the PR FR would get out of it. Too much thinking on FR is short sighted. It has constantly hurt us.
Nope - not 100% sure.
It’s still enough for us to condemn them to oblivion.
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