Clayton Cramer and The Armed Citizen are apparently being targeted by the Las Vegas Puppy Trainer in a wildly optimistic copyright infringement lawsuit, without so much as a "by-your-leave" or a "cease-and-desist".
Personally, as much as I love an optimist, I think the paper's due for disappointment. Clayton's a bright dude, and well understands Fair Use.
Meanwhile, I reckon I'll not be sending any eyeballs the Puppy Trainer's way. Let 'em advertise to an empty room.
It's a shame that the LVRJ is being so foolish and short-sighted. I enjoy Vin's column though I don't read anything else in the paper. I wonder if he'll do a column on the situation.
ReplyDeleteJournalism- it's all about the public's right to KNOW!!!!
ReplyDeleteI swear the captcha word is
COMMI
The LVRJ is a worthless rag, and has been for years.
ReplyDeleteI have become anti-copyright in the last few months (due to reading "Against Intellectual Property" and "Against Intellectual Monopoly"), so this, to me, is yet another reason why copyrights are evil.
ReplyDeleteEven if the use of those stories clearly fall under "fair use", copyright holders still have the power to sue the websites in an attempt to bully them.
Then, there's this issue: do you really think that those six stories are worth all that much? What "damages" could the paper really collect? And do they really expect us to believe that the reporters who wrote the story will be paid more because of this lawsuit? (I ask this last question because I know the answer is "NO!", since copyright is a tool that many publishers--print and music--use to keep everyone, including the originators of the work, from copying the work.)
FYI you can't stop the signal.
ReplyDeletehttp://syndicated.livejournal.com/thearmedcitizen/
They've been syndicated on Livejournal since the new site started, so the full archives with source links are still up there, albeit in a much more clunky and emo interface!)
"They've been syndicated on Livejournal since the new site started, so the full archives with source links are still up there, albeit in a much more clunky and emo interface!)"
ReplyDeleteLet me put on a Cure CD and some black nail polish and I'll go read it. :D
The DMCA has, as I understand it, created statutory damages. That was its point- all this "music piracy" and "copyright infringement" was pretty much de minimis, so there weren't many lawsuits for petty things.
ReplyDeleteIf the RIAA could only get actual damages, how much could they collect for even a thick stack of napstered songs?
"Alright, I admit I stole "Crazy For You" and "Like a Prayer". Call Madonna to the witness stand to explain how much I cost her."
But at $1000 apiece, no actual proof required...
Now, there's plenty of payoff. For the media bigs- they have the lawyers.
Let me put on a Cure CD and some black nail polish and I'll go read it. :D
ReplyDeleteHeh, Emo Tam!
Unfortunately, these dinosaurs thrashed hard enough for Clayton to pull both blogs.
ReplyDeleteApparently Righthaven LLC, a Las Vegas company that obtains copyrights to R-J stories and then sues alleged copyright infringers whom they think have deep pockets. It's not the RJ doing it.
ReplyDeleteOf course I don't see them backtracking and getting all apologetic either
RightHaven LLC is funded by the R-J's publisher, and I think RightHaven's CEO is former general counsel for the R-J. I can just imagine what kind of newspaper creeps like this put out. Make sure you read the comments on the Wired article--some people who know the CEO describe him and "sociopath" is one of the kinder descriptions.
ReplyDelete