AP: Others Who Use Our Work For Free Are Stealing... Now Who Wants To Provide Content To Us For Free?
from the double-standards-much? dept
The Associated Press has been going on quite the rampage over the past few months about all those evil online sites that are "stealing" its content, demanding that those who use its content absolutely must pay for it. We joked in response that the AP and other newspapers complaining about people "stealing" their coverage should actually be paying the people who make the news. After all, aren't they really creating the "content"? That was meant as a joke, but sometimes you have to wonder if people at the Associated Press even realize the double standard they've set for themselves.After all this complaining about others using its content for free, Valleywag points out that the AP was asking people to submit free accounts, pictures and videos of the train crash in Washington DC this week. Apparently "free" only works in one direction with the AP. If it's outbound, it's stealing. If it's inbound... that's reporting.
![Hide This Hide this](https://ii.techdirt.com/s/t/i/topclose.png)
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: content, entitlement, journalism, news
Companies: associated press
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Seriously?
*Headslap*
And these free accounts, pictures, and video would be different than the amatuerish, slobbering blog writers that just can't do the job as well as the AP does how exactly?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seriously?
Kind of like putting a vegetable on a payroll.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Seriously?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seriously?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The point here is not who reports superior news or who has a more objective reporting; the point is that AP want to charge people to use it's content but refuses to pay for content it wants to use.
That is the definition of hypocrisy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
AP does not want people freely using their content for their blogs/stories; even if they credit AP as the source. They want to charge for it's use.
AP on the other hand is actively soliciting for content and is not willing to compensate the provider at all; after all it's not like these people are going to get credit/recognition unless they truly have something spectacular to show. And the last place someone like that is going to is AP.
They are hiding behind the failed IP laws to be hypocritical. Because under the current law they can sue to prevent people from using their content for free but they are not legally required to compensate anyone for content they submit.
And not only that they are going after people who do not have the resources to fight back. I have heard AP reports cited on CNN and other national news programs. Are you going to tell me that AP is going to sue Rupert Murdock? So in a sense they are stifling new talent as news reporting is transition from traditional media to online content.
All around it's pretty scummy and not a very defensible position.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hardly a surprise
No "apparent" about it, this is how ALL big content/media/corporations see things. YOU, the individual consumer, are a thief, just by consuming...well, anything really. THEY, as gatekeepers of the great and powerful copyright lobbies, are the ONLY ones who get to benefit or profit from it. They are above reproach. In fact, if they had their way (And I have NO doubt this is being worked on behind the scenes a'la ACTA) they would REQUIRE you to turn over any and all "content" to them, even the ones YOU make, as they are the only ones legally allowed to have any (According to them) and you having any (or made any) are a thief.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
How long will it take...
I'll put the over/under at three months.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How long will it take...
Or, you know, in big lettered legalese that you have to check before hitting submit. Ether way, I'd bet it's there.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Interesting concept indeed. So if they write a story about me - not that something that trivial would ever happen - but I should call them and demand royalties. That's actually a good idea.
Hey - it's good from start to finish.
I'm curious too - since you are on that subject - at various times in music, you may hear references to popular culture, objects and such - do the 'artists' pay those people/companies for using the name?
It's funny how the new and other industries scream about this stuff, but when 'Big Rapper MC' (or whoever) talks about a certain car, cigarette, restaurant, etc - in a song - I wonder if the manufacturers are getting a cut.
Maybe they should go back and sue for all that - might help them to stay a viable business; if we are to assume that the new business model some organizations like the RIAA is using works.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Your last paragraph spells out all you need to know about the copyright debates
ALL of the players in the "content industry" want to cast the debate such that ONLY they have real copyright rights. All us poor schmoe users will get the mere illusion of copyright rights. Only the "players" will be allowed to make money from "their" content (which some have outright stolen anyway... look at the swamp called the "music industry") while we the users will have no ability to monetize our content and no real practical recourse to prevent the theft of out content.
No, they want us to fund their guaranteed right to ride a gravy train all enforced by a bought and paid for government.
Confidential to all my fellow "schmoe users": we need to fight back.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Here is where IP law makes it interesting.
When you submitt anything to a news agency you sign y
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
reporter walks up to a guy and says "What the heck happened" and stuffs a microphone under his nose. Are those comments and more or any less news? are they are more or any less free?
AP is just trying to get information as quickly as possible, to get as much of the story as possible, and they are paying exactly what they pay for other man on the street interviews.
If people are dumb enough to send in pictures for free, more power to AP for it.
"What would be fun is to submit a photo that AP uses then begin posting that photo all over the web. I like to see AP claim infringement for a photo they don't own."
I would suspect there is a bunch of wording on the submit page that would include transfer of the publishing rights to AP.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What I wanted to say was once you submit anything to an entity like the AP they will more than likely make you sign a release for them to use it. Once you sign that piece of paper you no longer "own" the photo.
Which essentially mean AP can sue you for a pic you made and submitted yourself.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Payment
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
You know what would be fun?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Your Credit Rating
to correct inaccurate credit reports. This site is dedicated to helping people repair their
previous credit history and explains how to clean up bad credit.
For more information about Credit Repair log on to http://www.efixurcredit.com OR
credit repair tips
credit repair guide
Credit Repair
[ link to this | view in chronology ]