French Culture Minister Caught 'Pirating' Photo Off Of Website

from the copyright-ain't-so-cut-and-dried dept

Mon, Sep 20th 2010 8:54am — Mike Masnick

We've noted in the past how it seems that those in favor of stronger copyright laws almost always seem to end up getting caught violating copyright rules in some manner or another -- often showing that they don't really understand why their push for stricter laws are so problematic. In France, where the current ruling party pushed through (at great effort) the first "three strikes" law, known as Hadopi, it seems that the party has a particular problem with following copyright law itself. This is the same political party that used a song in an (awful) lip dub that it did not license (in fact they were turned down when they tried to license it -- so it was willful infringement). They used the US band MGMT's song in a video totally without permission, and they mass "pirated" a documentary about President Sarkozy without permission from the filmmaker. In that case, they burned 400 DVDs without permission, and even deleted the original publisher's name on the version of the DVD they released.

So the following really shouldn't come as much surprise. Apparently the French culture minister, who (of course) was a major supporter of Hadopi, has been caught copying a photo from a blog entirely without permission (Google translation of the original French -- found via Glyn Moody).

The blogger claims they'd be happy to let the Culture Minister use the photo, but just wanted to point out how it's easy to grandstand and claim that copyright infringement is some awful thing, but situations like this show how it's really not so clearcut -- and even those who claim that copyright is so important and must be protected (with a potential penalty of losing internet access entirely) don't even realize how easy it is to "innocently" infringe on copyright while doing something that feels completely normal.

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Filed Under: copyright, culture minister, france, hadopi

13 Comments

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MrWilson, 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:17am

It's pretty clear that the unspoken addendum to the statement that, "copyrights need to be protected," is, "...when the copyrights belong to a rich and powerful person/corporation. Screw the little guy if he can't afford an expensive enough lawyer to sue infringers."
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RD, 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:22am

You should know by now...
You should know by now, there is one rule for them, one rule for us. And the rule seems to be, "for The Elite, no rules, for The Commoners, maximum rules."
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:24am

Re:
At this point I'm surprised it's still unspoken. At this point Hanlon's Razor can't apply. There is no way in hell that stupidity fits any more.
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ofb2632 (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:26am

sued
This man should be sued like every other infringer that has been caught! Show the Govt that it can happen to anyone!!
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Dark Helmet (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:37am

Re: sued
Plus, this is clearly 4 strikes and they still aren't out, which is cheating in MLB baseball. Obviously they need to face the Senate in a hearing and answer questions about bloody socks, injections in their buttocks, and how in the world a croissant is made....
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 9:54am

Re: Re: sued
Hrm. Why isn't a "croissant" a hate crime? Or a terrorist act?

Imagine if they did a swastika pastry these days.
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R. Miles (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 10:28am

Re: Re: sued
"Plus, this is clearly 4 strikes and they still aren't out..."
That's because the government doesn't consider them strikes, but balls, and now they're on base for another batter to make another "4 balls" attempt at winning the game.

It doesn't hurt to have an umpire who is blind as a bat, either.
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Hulser (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 10:33am

Re:
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
- George Orwell, Animal Farm
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Greg G, 20 Sep 2010 @ 10:54am

Re: Re: sued
The Frenchie Frenchman gov't says "Base-uh-ball has been berry berry good to me!"
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2010 @ 11:16am

The French government the same one that is pushing a ridiculous report onto the E.U.(the Galo Report) that basically says it is private interests that should decide what is legal or not and use the ISP to hurt people caught, and that is the same government that wants to kick out every immigrant in France.

That is the same government that wants to make viruses legal with LOPSI 2, the same government that took bribes from that old lady.

What a wonderful government that is.

The Gallo Report will be voted on Wednesday.
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/deadly-copyright-repression-threatens-eu-act-now
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Prashanth (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 11:33am

The Blogger's Kindness
Give the blogger credit too; he's perfectly willing to let the politician use the photo so long as the politician is honest about the source and is more honest about his position on copyright in the future. Wait, did I really wish for a politician to be honest? Can I have my unicorn now?
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weneedhelp (profile), 20 Sep 2010 @ 2:34pm

Do as I say, not as i do, damn it!
This is the same political party that used a song in an (awful) lip dub that it did not license (in fact they were turned down when they tried to license it -- so it was willful infringement).

Says it all.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2010 @ 7:38pm

Grammar basics
"Off of website"? Really? Please tell me that's ironic.
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