AP Sues Others For Copying Its Reporting, But Has No Problem Copying Bloggers Without Citation

from the can't-admit-the-bloggers-beat-you dept

You may have seen the story we recently had about a woman suing Google after she got hit by a car while following Google Maps' walking directions. In that post, we linked back to Danny Sullivan's post about this story at Search Engine Land (where he noted that Gary Price had tipped him off to the news). In our post, we recommended people read Danny's full writeup, highlighted some of the points he made and added a bit of our own analysis. Of course, it's a hot story, and so lots of other publications wrote up their own versions of it as well, and Danny is now pointing out that the vast majority of mainstream publications did not credit him at all with breaking the story -- some of whom even used the images that Sullivan created in their own stories without credit.

Of course, the one I find most interesting is the Associated Press. The story published by the AP basically repeats a lot of what Danny put in his report, but fails to mention that Danny had the story first, and did a lot of the journalistic legwork in understanding what the story was about. Now, I've gone over this issue before in the past: and I don't see any legal reason why others should be required to cite their sources, but do believe it's the neighborly thing to do, and tends to lead to goodwill back in your direction as well.

But, when we're talking about the AP, this is an organization that has sent DMCA notices and threatened a blogger with legal action for linking to AP stories along with a headline and a short (35 word) excerpt. This is the organization that has claimed it was planning to sue others for creating similar stories and specifically sued All Headline News for supposedly rewriting its stories. This is also the same AP that thinks it gets to define fair use, and that means that any use of 5 words or more is not fair use. This is the same AP that claims that creating an entirely new artistic work based on an AP photograph is, in no way, fair use.

Yet, this AP has no problem making use of Danny's original reporting, without even so much as giving him credit?
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Filed Under: bloggers, copying, hot news, journalists
Companies: associated press


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  • icon
    weneedhelp (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 8:54am

    some of whom even used the images that Sullivan created

    Then he needs to sue as well.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:02am

      Re: some of whom even used the images that Sullivan created

      Where is his team of lawyers? Suing is only for those who have teams of lawyers.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Technopolitical (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 10:48am

      Then he needs to sue as well.

      I would pay (wall) , to see that !

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 8:55am

    Jumping through hoops like citation and actual journalism are for puny, feeble bloggers. Members of the press hand down their opinion as natural law and we should accept their gifts.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      interval, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:36am

      Re:

      I keep hoping for a sort-of legal Armageddon where all sides fire off all of their lawyers at once creating some sort of situation that goes to the supreme court where this crap is decided once and for all. But I think my wait is in vain.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Technopolitical (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 10:49am

        Re: Re:I keep hoping for a sort-of legal Armageddon where all sides fire off all of their lawyers at once creating some sort of situation that goes to the supreme court where this crap is decided once and for all. But I think my wait is in vain.

        soon. keep your fingers crossed

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    vastrightwing, 2 Jun 2010 @ 8:58am

    Just a question

    So what happens when the AP copies Danny's story and its crawlers spot the original article and then sends him a take down notice?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    weneedhelp (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 8:59am

    Yet, this AP has no problem making use of Danny's original reporting, without even so much as giving him credit?

    Then that would validate him as a journalist, and we cant have that now; can we? Silly insignificant little blogger. Shut up and like it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Imitation Tam, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:00am

    There must be more to this story.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:04am

    So if he is really in the right, why not blow this thing wide open. Provide proof and feed the AP to the rest of the media. I mean, telling TechDirt is one thing, but why not go everywhere.

    Also, would the EFF take the case?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:16am

      Re:

      It's already going everywhere on the blogosophere pretty much. What do you mean blow it wide open, it's been blown wide open and the proof is already there, what more proof do you want? as far as taking the case, I don't think the EFF likes to sue people, they mostly serve defendants of bogus lawsuits, and I don't think anyone is saying that the AP should get sued, just that they're hypocrites.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:05am

    Hey Trust Fund Mikey,

    So ya movin' into Journalism now! Swaaaeet! What made you change from being a blogger to someone who can comment on "Journalism"?

    Runnin' out of monay?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:17am

      Re: Hey Trust Fund Mikey,

      What? Who said that MM is moving to journalism? Commenting on journalism != journalism. Where did you get that idea?

      Oh I get it, you're either TAM or you're impersonating TAM to make fun of him. Nice.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        The YangCo Happy Bot Co, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:32am

        Re: Re: Hey Trust Fund Mikey,

        Hi Master! This reprogrammable "YangCo Bot". Why settle for stuffy conversation when you have Big YangCo!

        To learn more about pricing and features, including the famous "Anonymous Coward" posting feature, visit online at YangCo.com

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:43am

          Re: Re: Re: Hey Trust Fund Mikey,

          It's funny how a bot can destroy you in a debate. Just shows how poor your position is.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Free Capitalist (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:18am

      Re: Hey Trust Fund Mikey,

      So ya movin' into Journalism now! Swaaaeet! What made you change from being a blogger to someone who can comment on "Journalism"?

      Runnin' out of monay?


      It's true. We can create mass from energy.

      Drugs are still bad.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Donald (profile), 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:25am

    Time to Push AP

    So, if Danny quotes the AP story and provides a link to AP, do you think he would be contacted and threatened?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:43am

      Re: Time to Push AP

      He should do that because then it would bring more attention to what the AP did to scam Danny.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John Doe, 2 Jun 2010 @ 9:46am

    They better hope Hot News doesn't get enacted

    The AP and other fine journalistic institutions better hope the Hot News idea doesn't catch on or they will be paying through the nose for cases like this.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Beta, 2 Jun 2010 @ 10:51am

      Re: They better hope Hot News doesn't get enacted

      I'm sure they're smart enough to carve themselves loopholes in it before it becomes law, probably by defining "news agency" in the fine print.

      Come to think of it, how would they define a news agency? Maybe a combination of circulation, number of years in business, tons of newsprint and height of office building? They'd want to include some radio stations but exclude college newspapers, without coming out and saying it... Man, being a lawyer must be hard.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    dzent1, 2 Jun 2010 @ 11:27pm

    Associated Pressure

    The industry wonders why it's tanking? Media wonders why their industry is going to h*ll? Why nobody buys their product anymore? Why they've lost credibility in every quarter of the nation no matter the political persuasion?

    Try telling the truth. Try telling the whole story. Try doing good for the human race, instead of championing corporate greed.

    Did you think all your bullshit would go unnoticed, AP, in the era of the internet, when EVERYTHING can be fact-and source-checked in nothing flat?

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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