Olympics Using Bogus Copyright Claims To Take Down All Videos Of Fatal Luge Crash
from the fair-use? dept
As you probably heard today, just as reports warning about the luge track at the Olympics were coming out, a Georgian luger crashed and died while on a training run. It's a horrible situation all around, but it looks like the International Olympic Committee is trying to stifle the whole thing by using copyright claims to take down videos on YouTube, saying that only those who paid for broadcast rights can show the video. Now, this could be part of a pre-arranged effort by the Olympics to try to stop any Olympics videos from hitting YouTube, but it shows the problem with such a blanket policy. In discussing news like this -- no matter how horrific -- it seems you could make a good case for fair use, but that's not even being allowed here, as the videos are getting taken down very quickly. And, even if the Olympic Committee thinks that it's about "protecting" its copyright, it certainly feels like it's trying to suppress the news of the crash and death.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.
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suing restaurans now warnigns of somehign actally dangerous
yup we dont need a stop lighst lets weight till a few more people die
YUP corporate behavior at its best
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Re:
I'm not saying they're *actually* trying to hide it, but the autoscripts on YouTube forcing takedowns of all Olympic videos makes it *look* like they are. That was the point. Sorry if it wasn't clear.
But they definitely ARE taking down YouTube clips of the news. The fact that CTV aired it doesn't prove they're not trying to stop the other clips from showing (and for all you know they could have asked CTV not to show it, and CTV decided to do so anyway).
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Re: Re:
they definitely ARE taking down YouTube clips of the news.
Where are those clips from? Who owns the rights to them?
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What's worse???
So, what's worse:
1. Blocking the videos because you want to hide something? Granted that doesn't appear to be the case now.
2. Blocking the videos because you want to make sure only licensees can make money off this guy's death? (i.e. via advertising money as the Olympics is trying to control where the eyeballs go)
Either way, it sends the wrong message. This is news, fair use applies and just serves to highlight how the abuse of copyrights.
Freedom
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In Fairness
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Except for Neda, the girl that was shot in Iran during the protests, right?
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Re:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EFvGuIXIJc
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Re: Douchey Mc Douche
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Official Olympics Sponsors
It's not about covering anything up it's about revenue in traditional TV markets. Which is why CTV DID air the accident.
It would be near impossible for YouTube to go through every video to see which were network feeds and which (any?) were taken by individuals,l so they just remove all of them.
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Re: Official Olympics Sponsors
The commercial arrangements that the IOC make with broadcasters does not override the law.
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BUT with equal Logic
It would be near impossible for YouTube to go through every video to see which were network feeds and which (any?) were taken by individuals,l so they just remove NONE of them.
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Google, Wiki, etc. and the Olympics
One has to wonder where this falls as to copyright and trademark. If Google isn't a sponser, doesn't having the logo on the front search page indicate a business relationship with the Olympics?
If Wiki every runs ads on their site does that mean that they'll no longer be able to have these types of corporate logos on info sites? Even without ads on the wiki site, what gives them the permission to use the corporate logo?
(Just thinking out loud...)
Freedom
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Re: Google, Wiki, etc. and the Olympics
The IOC wouldn't win a copyright claim because Google can strike it up to parody, not to mention they have years built up of them changing their logo as an homage to other events and days, winning that would be pretty easy.
As for trademark, there would be no way of them winning that argument. In order for something to infringe on trademark, they would have to prove that people are being confused into thinking that Google was an official partner, to which Google has made no claim. Unless Google put something like "The official search engine of the Olympic Winter Games"
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Copyright as an incentive?
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Re:
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Olympics as Fascists
Canada is indulging in a modern day renaissance of Greek sports worship. We chased our tails zig-zagging across the country carrying a lit torch. People worshiped the silly thing. Guess people need Gods, even when given the chance to think for themselves.
All the human rights abuse, civil rights abuse, denial of free speech and of course the obsessive copyright of everything "olympic" - it's a farce.
The reason they don't want people seeing the video - which is hopeless since it's bootlegged everywhere, is that some design idiot put the rail that killed the luge athlete in the exact place it needed to be for a killing zone.
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Images of the crash should never have been shown
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Georgian luger
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I see no need for it on-line. But it is a news worth event and should be allowed. Morally on the other hand I think people should not show it out of respect for the Georgian luger.
It is all about personnel choice and unfortunately for me I did not know about the event and the news cast about the event was definitely news to me.
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The olympic corporation
I would wonder if Google pays them for using their logo. Though today the google home page has a picture from my favorite ‘sport’. Curling
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IOC responds
"IOC Tries To Restrict Freedom of the Press" is there email to NJN Network.
Our reply was that "fair play" of video material in a news story is allowed under the Canadian copyright law.
Covered in story "IOC issues take down of news coverage about luge death in David and Goliath battle"
Copyright property in Canada is protected under the Copyright Act. The owner of the copyright has, with some limitations, the right to control when a copyrighted work can be exhibited, broadcast, or reproduced.
The Copyright Act (Canada) specifically allows news reporting as Fair Dealing and an allowed use of copyright materials. This is how CBS as a non-licensee broadcast the story along with CBC and other networks, quoting,
“29.2 Fair dealing for the purpose of news reporting does not infringe copyright if the following are mentioned: (a) the source; and (b) if given in the source, the name of the …(iv) broadcaster, in the case of a communication signal.”
Copyright allows the IOC to get paid, which finances the Games, by broadcasters around the world. In the United States NBC has the rights – which is why Jay Leno is off the air for a few weeks. In Canada, CTV has the rights to exclusive coverage.
However, that doesn’t stop CBC from setting up shop in Vancouver and broadcasting sports “news” clips of events and wins. Re-broadcast of short video clips is going on around the world because it is allowed by law and convention.
So the official media get the total coverage and the rest of the media get to report bits and bites. For example, CBC carried the luge accident the day it happened. It was on every major newscast.
No other rights exist outside the Act. “Sec. 1.2 Copyright shall not subsist in Canada otherwise than as provided by subsection (1), except in so far as the protection conferred by this Act is extended as hereinafter provided to foreign countries to which this Act does not extend.” The IOC does not have rights beyond those for everyone.
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How about we give the man what little dignity he deserves in death, instead of truing his tragic death into entertainment.
I don't understand why people are actually look for the video. It just seems wrong to me.
The IOC might be doing it to cover their own asses, or maybe they are using strong arm tactics to give his loved ones some peace after such a horrific accident. Either way, I don't feel it should be online.
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Olympics.
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However, that doesn’t stop CBC from setting up shop in Vancouver and broadcasting sports “news” clips of events and wins. Re-broadcast of short video clips is going on around the world because it is allowed by law and convention.
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http://www.fashionbagshop.org/Chanel-Coco-Bags/Chanel-Coco-Bags-1112-Pink-and-Silver-Chain_36.htm
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