YouTube Takedown Again Being Used To Try To Block Newsworthy Content

from the but-why? dept

Thu, Jul 9th 2009 11:28pm — Mike Masnick

Apparently, there's a big hubbub up in Canada over an embarrassing act involving Prime Minister Stephen Harper pocketing a communion wafer during a Catholic funeral. The video of the episode is getting a lot of attention... but now one of the main copies of the video has been taken down due to a YouTube copyright claim. Still, what's really odd is that the video was done by CPAC, but the takedown notice is from Radio Canada. As Michael Gesit points out, it's difficult to see what the copyright claim is, as the clip itself can be considered newsworthy and "fair dealing" (Canada uses "fair dealing" rules rather than "fair use") for others to show it.

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Filed Under: canada, copyright, fair dealing, stephen harper, takedown

16 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 9 Jul 2009 @ 11:51pm

For those who are interested, clip is available here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/how-to-avoid-a-wafergate/article1212846/#video
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2009 @ 1:57am

This whole thing is ridiculous. The video said that he is NOT catholic, so the real faux pas is that he was offered to begin with. I'm sure he only accepted it so as not to cause a scene. If he didn't consume the wafer, I'm sure it was only because he is not catholic. Personally, I think he did the right thing.
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manstabber, 10 Jul 2009 @ 2:07am

lol i remember when i had to go to a catholic church and they tell you, if you haven't been "saved" or aren't a real christian or better yet a real CATHOLIC, and you take communion, then you will burn in hell for all eternity.....

its a trick using this very hysteria we are seeing now, to make you think your ARE a real christian.

your not a christian and you dont believe any of that crap. What do you do? Eat it, and if your wrong, burn in hell for all eternity? Or you could NOT eat it and get black balled by your lil community?
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Lachlan Hunt (profile), 10 Jul 2009 @ 2:26am

Newsworthy?!
"the clip itself can be considered newsworthy"

What? The guy chose not to eat a friggin' wafer. Who cares? How is that even remotely newsworthy? The fact that the clip received a DMCA takedown might be newsworthy if the clip really qualifies as fair dealing - I'm not so sura about that - but the clip itself would not otherwise be even remotely newsworthy.
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Kevin, 10 Jul 2009 @ 3:42am

Re:
lol i remember when i had to go to a catholic church and they tell you, if you haven't been "saved" or aren't a real christian or better yet a real CATHOLIC, and you take communion, then you will burn in hell for all eternity.....

I always found it odd that religious people would threaten atheists with hell when they clearly didn't believe in it. That's like saying that if you offend me then my pet dragon is going to eat you for lunch.
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pastanoodle, 10 Jul 2009 @ 4:28am

I have the feeling the religious wackos are behind this. Copyright is a very handy tool to supress freedom of expression, creativity, etc. Nothing new here.
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Anshar (profile), 10 Jul 2009 @ 4:34am

That's only half of it...
The fact that the Prime Minister didn't eat the wafer is offensive to devout Catholics and pretty unremarkable to most others. Had it been left at that, this wouldn't even be a story. But the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement (in spite of the video) saying that he did indeed eat the wafer and to think otherwise is absurd. That turned it into a story about the government issuing a statement to avoid embarrassment that was immediately and conclusively shown to be a lie. All they had to do issue a quick apology to Catholics and the 'story' would have died then and there.
Now, the issue about the copyright claim being made by Radio-Canada rather than CPAC is an interesting one. This is purely conjecture on my part but I'm wondering if the *version* of the clip that was taken down might have come from Radio-Canada. The difference between that clip and the one linked above is that the now-missing clip showed the PM pocketing the wafer in slow motion with his hand circled and highlighted. Still, it seems like a clear case of fair-dealing to me. Nevertheless, Radio-Canada is part of the CBC which has been at odds with the current government which in turn controls most of CBC's funding as a public broadcaster. Food for thought.
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Paul Howard, 10 Jul 2009 @ 4:46am

'Canada uses "fair dealing" rules rather than "fair use"'

Better than the Australians that use the "fair dinkum" rules.
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JackSombra (profile), 10 Jul 2009 @ 4:51am

"The fact that the Prime Minister didn't eat the wafer is offensive to devout Catholics and pretty unremarkable to most others."
Actually, if he is not Catholic (or belonging to another church that practices Sacrament of the Eucharist) and had taken it would have been more offensive to Catholics who know something about their religion, as you are not meant to partake until you have either had your First Communion or RCIA

The correct thing to do if in a RC church during mass (and not eligible) is to just remain seated during reception of the sacrament

*always knew all those hours of arguing with my religious studies teacher would come in handy one day*
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NullOp, 10 Jul 2009 @ 5:47am

Here we go again.....
I'm once again hearing all this talk of "Fair Use", "Fair Dealing", "Fair Trade" and so-on and so-forth. Let me remind everyone that "Fair" is a place people go to watch pigs race for cookies!
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packrat, 10 Jul 2009 @ 6:04am

the crtc again.. BAH!
Canada has most expensive telecom in the world and the worst service.

ie: rogers changes prices + packages randomly, bell (try to get what you want, or change anything like a misspelt name)
AGT telus censors workers..

and it isn't safe yet. it's spam and hacker ridden, but sanitized for news.

harper's communion wafer thing has already been pulled from youtube.

remember what happened with the last dereg at bell... all the cheap toys and new services?

they're being blocked by both the crtc and industry.

get ready for the ten cent tweet, e-mail, etc...
and rubble.
pat

http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20080616
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TheStupidOne, 10 Jul 2009 @ 8:25am

Re:
Makes sense to me. I didn't watch the video, but I wouldn't have taken communion. Not for fear of any retaliation, but rather out of respect. Communion is supposed to be about a community of believers and it is just more respectful to say no thanks.

But about the takedown ... stupid
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Dark Helmet (profile), 10 Jul 2009 @ 11:14am

Re:
"If he didn't consume the wafer, I'm sure it was only because he is not catholic"

Or maybe he actually is and 100% believes in the whole transformation dogma and isn't...you know...a cannibal...
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2009 @ 9:13am

Re: Re:
The above point, where it's more out of respect, is more accurate. As noted, threatening a non-believer with belief-oriented punnishment is kind of ridiculous.

Still, for a Christian (and especially for Catholics), wandering of with a host is a major grievance.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2009 @ 9:18am

Re: Newsworthy?!
It's newsworthy because three things are true:
-the act, if true, is offensive to a large population (catholics/Christians)
-the PM's Office said he didn't pocket it, he ate it, thereby avoiding embarrassment and resentment.
-the video shows the PM's Office to be lying, thereby making everything much worse than it ever would have been before.

And now the Steisand Effect is getting it more exposure than it ever should have had.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2009 @ 6:50pm

The name is Michael Geist, is it not?
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