[Tijeras_Slim]

Last bunch I would expect of having no sense of humor.

[Constitution Day]

Heh!

[RonF]

I wouldn't necessarily accuse them of not having a sense of humor. I know that trademarks can pass into the public domain if their owners don't protect abuse of it; I wonder if the same applies to copyrighted material?

[middie]

Copyright law requires that the holder protect the property on a universal basis or else the broad protection may be deemed waived. A holder places his enforcement rights in jeopardy if he allows some infringers to do so unchallenged while at the same time he places others on notice to desist.

The law frowns on persons "sitting on their rights" and allowing others to invade them and then seeking to vindicate those rights when some other person does an act that constitutes the same or similar invasion. The Onion is absolutely correct in its notice and FR is indeed at risk with posters taking inappropriate license to post without considering the lawfully protected rights of others.

[Kozak]

Last bunch I would expect of having no sense of humor.

Hey, it's business. The suits at the onion are as likely to have a rod up their fundament as at any other business. Maybe the Onion writers can do a parody of THIS.

[A. Pole]

Last bunch I would expect of having no sense of humor.

From my experience - some good jokers are grim, cranky and humorless people. A paradox.

[jocon307]

"Last bunch I would expect of having no sense of humor."

Yes, agreed; or to be opposed to the open and free exchange of ideas, etc. etc.

It kind of makes you wonder what is really going on. If it is just "full text" posting they object to, that I can understand. It denies their advertisers the expected "eyes".

If they don't want links, that makes no sense. And don't we have free speech rights to say "Hey! Go read this article in The Onion!"?

It actually sounds to me like someone told the webmaster to handle a situation that is a bit over his head. Something that should have been reviewed by upper management and maybe an attorney or two.

Reminds me of my job...at a law firm! Tell them they can't do this, must do that,etc. etc. To which my reply is often "Er, shouldn't YOU be doing that?"