New Jersey Town Claims Copyright Over Public Meetings

from the good-luck-with-that dept

Thu, Mar 25th 2010 10:48am — Mike Masnick

Copycense points us to the news of a New Jersey town, Hammonton, that is apparently trying to claim copyright over its public meetings and anything else broadcast over its public access network. Seems like quite a strange definition of public access television if the focus is on copyrighting all that public content. Even more troubling, of course, is this idea that public meetings in the interest of the public and paid for by the public, are now supposed to be covered by copyright. While the federal gov't isn't allowed to copyright stuff, we have seen local governments claim copyright over documents before -- but claiming copyright over meetings seems like a bigger stretch.

Filed Under: copyright, hammonton, new jersey, public meetings

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Just Another Moron in a Hurry (profile), 25 Mar 2010 @ 11:11am

Being broadcast over a specific medium, even public access television, would have no affect on whether or not material is copyrighted.

I guess I would want to know if they are claiming copyright over any recordings made of the meeting, or only over some sort of 'official' recording made? If John Q. Citizen brought his camcorder in and made his own recording, and they tried to claim copyright over that, then there is a serious issue.
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Richard Corsale, 25 Mar 2010 @ 11:27am

Snooky
Did they elect "Snooky" Mayor?

- Deeply ashamed of myself
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Mar 2010 @ 11:53am

Ohhhhh!!!! New Jersey Fist Pump baby!!!! Yeah!!!
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Money Mike (profile), 25 Mar 2010 @ 11:59am

Re: Snooky
You should be ashamed of yourself. That chick isn't even from NJ. She's from NY (I think Lawn Guyland).

Now, if you used "The Situation," that would be a different story.
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Minute Man, 25 Mar 2010 @ 12:32pm

And this is why...
Power-grabbing meglomaniacs are the reason the founding fathers insured our right to bear arms.

They knew that when the power corrupted those in power and they needed to be removed... we had the duty and right to remove them.

Use those arms... in the voting booth... and remove idiots from office.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Mar 2010 @ 12:45pm

Re: And this is why...
So you're saying we should shoot all the officials of this city because they have some wrong and misguided ideas about copyrighting public meetings?
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known coward, 25 Mar 2010 @ 12:51pm

Re: Re: And this is why...
it is a start.

"Re: And this is why...
by Anonymous Coward
So you're saying we should shoot all the officials of this city because they have some wrong and misguided ideas about copyrighting public meetings?

?"
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Mar 2010 @ 12:56pm

Re: Re: And this is why...
In your haste to type a somewhat witty response, you ignored the lat part of that statement...

"Use those arms... in the voting booth... and remove idiots from office."
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Justa Comment, 25 Mar 2010 @ 1:01pm

How About Some Responsibility ?
Being in a place with really stupid city administration (COS), it seem like it's time to hold minor public servants accountable for the execution of their jobs. So, if city official are too dumb to note they are working in public - they're fired ! Same thing here with our city managers 'losing' millions of dollars because they can't account for it - out with them !
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Zuffy Nufankel, 25 Mar 2010 @ 1:33pm

Copyright
While the Federal government can't copyright stuff, they have no problems patenting things and then auctioning off those patents despite having been paid for w/ Tax-payer $$ (I'm looking at you NASA)
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Alan Gerow (profile), 25 Mar 2010 @ 2:22pm

Just goes to show you how creative they view what they do. Since facts aren't copyrightable and they aren't discussing facts ...
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harbingerofdoom (profile), 25 Mar 2010 @ 2:33pm

funny how everyone seems to scream about getting said idiots out of office and yet even with approval ratings that seem to never rise above ~30% the same stupid politicians keep getting voted right back in.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Mar 2010 @ 5:44pm

Re: Re: Re: And this is why...
Only thing is... his response was not witty at all. Not even somewhat. He just read half the post, then knee-jerked his way to an inquisition.

Fucking pud-puller.
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known coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 5:47am

Re: Re: Re: Re: And this is why...
bolderdash,

it was mildy witty.

As you well know, the right to bear arms has nothing to do with the right to vote. Wit can rely non-sequiters

btw, Fucking pud-puller is a very self revealing way to sign off on a post.
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