Captain Copyright Is Captain Copycat?

from the not-so-good dept

Yesterday we wrote about the new effort to "educate" Canadian children with a one-sided view on copyright laws using the mascot Captain Copyright. Since then, plenty of people have noticed some fun things about Captain Copyright, such as the fact that the disclaimer on the site bans anyone who says anything negative about the site from linking to the site (whoops!). Also, the terms of use apparently forbid people from cutting and pasting any content from the site. Specifically, their site reads: "You are not permitted to copy or cut from any page or its HTML source code to the Windows™ clipboard (or equivalent on other platforms) onto any other website." (which, yes, we cut and pasted here). Apparently, Captain Copyright does not believe in fair use. However, perhaps the most egregious, is that Captain Copyright may be violating copyrights himself, by failing to follow the license on republishing certain Wikipedia content. It sounds like Captain Copyright may need something of an educational campaign himself. Meanwhile, we won't even bother wondering about whether or not Captain Copyright might infringe on some aspects of other Superheroes, even though Marvel likes to go after anyone who comes too close. Well, I guess he is Captain Copyright, not Captain Trademark.
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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2006 @ 1:47pm

    Canadians

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    DittoBox, 2 Jun 2006 @ 1:53pm

    WTF?

    "in order to protect the moral rights associated with this site, permission to link is explicitly withheld from any website the contents of which may, in the opinion of the Access Copyright, be damaging or cause harm to the reputation of Access Copyright. Specifically, permission to link is explicitly withheld from sites featuring pornographic, racist or homophobic content"

    First of all: WTF is a "moral right"?

    Second, why are they singling about Pornophiles, Racists and of all things...Homophobes?

    All I need to do is post some ASCII porno, make a couple of racists jokes and then call captain copyright gay and they can sue me for violating, let's see, 4 seperate clauses.

    Get a life you nasty little corporate greedweasels. Stop trying to use government to enforce your out of date, obsolete and corrupt business models. Real capitalism uses markets to decide the fate of your industry and your business models.

    What the recording and movie industries just don't seem to get is that what they do is closer to communism than capitalism, all while painting themselves as Good People and wrapping themselves in the flag and the rest of us as pinko commie pirates.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      BC, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:21pm

      Re: WTF?

      According to Captain Copyright himself, Moral Rights are "A creator’s right to be associated with his or her work; the right not to have the work used in a way that offends the creator; and the creator’s right to the integrity of the work (for example, a sculptor has the right to decide if his or her sculpture can be painted). Moral rights cannot be transferred to anyone else. However, the creator of a work can decide not to exercise his or her moral rights."

      Of course, Piracy is defined as "The use of someone else’s creation without permission." in direct contradiction to the site's definition of "Fair dealing".

      Uh-oh. Did I just break one of Captain Copyright's imaginary rules?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Kilroy, 4 Jun 2006 @ 2:06pm

      Re: WTF?

      A "moral right" is the direct opposite if a "moral left", or was that an immoral left? Not that much "moral" matters in Canada. But I wouldn't live anyplace else - I love my free health-care . . . when I can find a doctor.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      SailorAlphaCentauri, 5 Jun 2006 @ 10:58am

      Re: WTF?

      I can't help it; I love the "little corporate greedweasels". I'd love to use that sometime (with proper citation), but Captain Copywrong may bring the boom down on me.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Justin, 2 Jun 2006 @ 1:53pm

    eh

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Poops McGee, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:11pm

    LOL

    I think it's simply quite hilarious that a website about protecting copyright, refers (incorrectly in the terms of Wikipedia's GNU copyleft stuff, here) to a copyLEFT organization, Wikipedia, to inform about what an ISBN number is! ROFL! Nice going you tards!

    Not only did they not follow the terms of Wikipedia's copyright restrictions, but they're presenting facts which point out the entire fallacy of what they're trying to promote (guaranteed profits), using quotes like this one on their site:

    "During the early Middle Ages only churches, universities, and rich noblemen could typically afford books. Considered a precious commodity, books were often chained to a bookshelf or a desk to prevent theft. [Source: Britain in Print]"

    The stupidity of the human race will never cease to amaze me.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    lumber jack, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:13pm

    Eeeei!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tom, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:28pm

    Well, to be fair, I am a pinko commie pirate. My commrades and I are making preparations to sue you, DittoBox, for making reference to our trademark without our permission. Don't worry, the money we shake you down for will go to a good cause: fighting Captain Copyright to the death in an all out brawl! involving lasers! and swords! and people yelling "Aaaarg!" It'll be great...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Petréa Mitchell, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:40pm

    Re: WTF?

    Yes, sites with racist content are barred from linking. Darn that immigration discussion!

    Then again, maybe you're okay. See the disclaimer: "The Captain Copyright website should not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific course of action..."

    When was it the lawsuit over permission to link was struck down, anyway? Must've been 8-9 years ago...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    c0ke, 2 Jun 2006 @ 2:55pm

    In Protest...

    Captain Copyright is a fake. There are no military records to support that he is/was of the rank "captain" nor the fact that he even stepped foot in the military.

    Oh and the "World Without Copyright" is total bull. I missed the part where "open source" applications killed off Microsoft(TM).

    kthx.. jesus

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Chief Elf (profile), 2 Jun 2006 @ 3:11pm

    Checks and Balances

    No worries, they have fairness built-in: "...any website the contents of which may, in the opinion of the Access Copyright, be damaging or cause harm..."

    See, if we all just trust everyone else's judgements and opinions, then, uh... never mind.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Josh (profile), 2 Jun 2006 @ 3:18pm

    Linking to the Site

    Maybe everyone should just go on an all out spam campaign posting a link to the site everywhere and anywhere. Then what? Are we going to see a lawsuit against the internet?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    I, for one, 2 Jun 2006 @ 4:06pm

    Prior art

    Yep, they're in trouble bigtime. He's got his underpants on the *OUTSIDE*. That's *MY* pre-caffinated Monday morning specialty.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2006 @ 4:33pm

    Anyone else notice that Captain Copyright looks like a combination of Spaceghost and the Green Lantern?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mastmaker, 2 Jun 2006 @ 4:41pm

    How about launching a link-spam against this capitan copyrighto? Well......on second thought, that will just boost the google ratings of capitan.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mastmaker, 2 Jun 2006 @ 4:47pm

    Update: Just looked at the website. What a joke! Did they really PAY somebody to build/maintain this site? From which asylum did they get the morons to write the script and draw the cartoons?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    tedrick, 2 Jun 2006 @ 5:05pm

    come on...

    this has got to be some sort of parody...right?...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    nixr, 2 Jun 2006 @ 5:36pm

    Wow.

    This is proof positive that the RIAA and MPAA have completely lost touch with their audiences, and for that matter, reality.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mark Kitchen, 2 Jun 2006 @ 5:52pm

    Site creator?

    Who is the site creator? Is it indeed a conglomerate of copyright holders, or just 1 person on a mission?

    Either way, well done on the press.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    teh, 2 Jun 2006 @ 8:01pm

    since you mentioned it....

    how many times does that site use the word "copy", im willing to bet its triple digits.

    i wonder wut the rules against copying the html and sending them it in an email is???


    /me thinks captain copyright and that copyright symbol have an sm relationship...(after taking a look at the kids section..coloring book)

    fuk them all...i wish i was rich and could do something serious about all the shit going on politically :(
    ppl are just too greedy, nothing matters anymore.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2006 @ 10:17pm

    If you read the comic of Captain Copyright's origins, they refer to Captain Condor. Hmm... would this be considered prior art?

    http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/images/ComicInformationPages/Lion/LionStrip1.gif

    1952 version of Captain Condor. Odd.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    takua108, 2 Jun 2006 @ 10:42pm

    From http://www.captaincopyright.ca/Kids/ColouringBook.aspx: "FUN FACTS ABOUT LIBRARYS" Aw, crap...now I'm going to get sued by Canada.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    fuzzix, 3 Jun 2006 @ 5:21am

    Extreme propaganda is to be expected in schools. Some of the things I learned at school:

    - Drugs are bad (Experience tells me otherwise - some of them are great!)
    - Communism is bad (Open for debate)
    - God loves me in infinite amounts but if I do one of 10 things he doesn't like then he'll send me to a burning pit for all time. (This turned out not to hold much water on further inspection)
    - Getting a good job is the essence of life (Bleh)
    - Conformity reaps rewards (True, but shouldn't be)
    - Respect authority (Sorry, respect must be earned)

    I don't think I was alone in questioning this sort of stuff during and after my time in school. We can only hope the kids today have the savvy to do the same.

    One thing I do remember from school is that the little propaganda leaflets which were passed around were invariably defaced to rubbish the message. You wouldn't believe the vocabulary of some five year olds...

    ...I can see his big 'C' coming in handy.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2006 @ 6:20am

    wow...lol

    I've never seen captian copyright untill today...

    so copyright owners just have a grudge on people....
    http://www.captaincopyright.ca/Kids/Comics.aspx

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Not entirely anonymous coward, 3 Jun 2006 @ 8:50am

    DON'T COPY! (Or paste)

    Under the section "OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS" it lists what you can do with the materials located on the site.
    Somewhat amusing was the section that reads, in part:
    "iv. You are not permitted to copy or cut from any page or its HTML source code to the Windows(TM) clipboard (or equivalent on other platforms) onto any other website."
    I have complied with this notice by typing the quotation manually in a text editor without the aid of a clipboard or equivalent. I further hedged my bets by doing this on a Macintosh(TM) computer.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    takua108, 3 Jun 2006 @ 11:52am

    Good one...but why are you conforming to a policy that's retarded and won't hold up in court in the first place? Should I host a website with warez downloads now and, on each page, put "by downloading this, you are going against the terms of this website?"

    Actually, that's a grand idea; that way I can host warez and if anyone sues me, I can sue them back! Or something.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2006 @ 2:03pm

    payola is ok, but not playing a tune for your frie

    The media industry likes to bribe the radio/tv companies for airtime, but wants to put you in jail for playing your favorite song to your friends.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2006 @ 2:05pm

    captain copyright is a pirate

    the fraud stole is an imposter of captain crunch, the orginal phone phreak pirate that stole long distance phone calls in the 1970s. i guess stealing from a theif is ok and two wrongs do make a right in this case, captain.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Smokey, 3 Jun 2006 @ 9:54pm

    What would Brian Boitano do....?

    Blame Canada

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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