We are now officially registered with the copyright office for DMCA “safe harbor” provisions:
http://www.freerepublic.com/home.htm#copyright
If someone posts too much of a copyrighted article to FR, DMCA says the copyright holder must send us a formal takedown notice. It cost us an arm and a leg and we are not completely inoculated, but as part of our settlement agreement, Righthaven has agreed to send us DMCA takedown notices rather than suing us if someone slips up in the future.
It would be wise, as a public service, if we repeatedly reminded people who are like us (who are champions for freedom) of the important step of registering with the Copyright Office per the safe harbor protections.
It's also a shame that things have gotten to the point that one must register with the government to speak about current news.
Expect much more of this.
Good. Stare decisis or court precedent, to include the LA Times settlement, has been set against any new comers looking to get free money.