Copyright Fight Over GoDaddy CEO Shooting An Elephant?

from the are-you-serious? dept

Mon, Apr 11th 2011 8:20am — Mike Masnick

You may have heard all of the hubbub about GoDaddy's CEO Bob Parsons killing an elephant and putting the video online. Honestly, given the timing (right before April 1st), I had wondered if the whole thing wasn't an April Fools joke. Parsons is known for crazy media stunts -- the more controversial the better -- so I didn't pay that much attention to the whole thing. But now it's getting into areas that we regularly discuss around here: copyright infringement. The video is being reproduced and shown in a bunch of places... and apparently Parsons is threatening people with copyright infringement claims. He's hired BayTSP, one of the companies known for tracking infringement online and sending out legal nastygrams on behalf of clients. The thing is, in most of these cases, people reposting the video almost certainly have a strong fair use claim to using the video for commentary purposes, and the video itself is newsworthy. Part of me actually wonders if these copyright claims are just Parsons trying to stretch the longevity of the controversy a bit more.

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Filed Under: bob parsons, copyright, elephant

18 Comments

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umccullough (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 8:25am

Agenda
He's probably hoping to get all the Godaddy-critics to re-post it so he can get get ICE to seize their domains.

Since Godaddy participates often in these seizures, they probably know how easy it is to use this as censorship of people you don't like..
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- ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 8:45am
  
  Re: Agenda
  Does he even own the copyright? He probably didn't take the video himself, so it seems incumbent on him to establish that it was assigned to him somehow.
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  - E. Zachary Knight (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 10:08am
    
    Re: Re: Agenda
    It probably falls under work for hire and as such he would own the copyright to the video.
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    - ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 2:19pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Agenda
      Possibly, but until he proves otherwise I have to assume he is not the rightsholder.
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coldbrew, 11 Apr 2011 @ 8:28am

Parsons is one of those people that I would like to see tied down and punched in the face repeatedly while asking, "Do you want another domain?"

Godaddy seems to believe people are still trying to buy domains all_the_fucking_time and don't just want to manage their nameservers efficiently and without a bunch of other crap in their UI.
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- James Carmichael, 11 Apr 2011 @ 8:42am
  
  Re:
  "Parsons is one of those people that I would like to see tied down and punched in the face repeatedly while asking, "Do you want another domain?""
  
  Hahaha I would pay to see that. We could definitely try to put a spin on it as if it's a 'humanitarian mission'.
  
  I'm a web developer, and GoDaddy is pretty much the anti-christ. Every single page, every single DIV on their website is optimized to try to suck as much money from you as possible, with a total disregard to ethical user interface. I usually recommend my clients to stay away from them, unfortunately their marketing department was given way, way too much money and I'm assuming a LOT of crack cocaine as well.
  
  Anyways, great job killing an elephant, Parsons. It proves you have really good aim.
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  - coldbrew, 11 Apr 2011 @ 9:06am
    
    Re: Re:
    I've decided to point people toward hover.com, as they seem to be the best UI. The problem with the good registrars is that they cost $5-8/yr more than the most common ones. Do you have a preferred registrar?
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    - cybernia (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 10:16am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      I just started using namecheap.com a few months ago. So far, so good. It was namecheap that alerted me via email when the Godaddy flap happened.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2011 @ 10:58am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      You've got to be kidding. Hover's UI is somewhere between "hideous" and "profoundly awful".
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      - coldbrew, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:41am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Thanks for the suggestion of an alternative, fuck head. You jut made a statement like it was fact without any reasons why. You failed to convince me of anything.
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    - James Carmichael, 11 Apr 2011 @ 12:46pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      When I started out a few years ago I tried GoDaddy because it was the one I heard about the most (again, say what you want about them, but they have aggressive advertising). Then I discovered much better options. I personally use HostPapa now, but I've used HostMonster in the past, and there are TONS of similar companies (BlueHost is another one). $6 or so per month for unlimited shared hosting, and it includes a free domain which they renew for free for you. It's a no brainer, and they use Linux with Control Panel, PHP/SQL one-click CMS installs... a web dev's dream. HostPapa just happens to be Canadian and I often need to get .ca domains for clients, something other companies can't always do for you if they're American. I still need a GoDaddy account since a lot of my clients buy their hosting before getting in touch with me, so I have to access their accounts to transfer permissions, setup databases or FTP permissions, etc.
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      - coldbrew, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:47am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I don't think anyone should register their domains and host with the same company. These functions (i.e. registration >> hosting) should be separated. Every developer I know thinks this way. I would never let anyone host and register at the same company.
        
        Registrars are for good DNS management. That's it. SOmebody is gonna figure this out and win the whole game. GOdaddy is sketchy looking.
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        cybernia (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 11:14am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        GoDaddy is horrific. I had one client who hosted their blog with them and I talked them into switching to my host when their hosting expired.
        
        It's so tough to navigate. It's impossible to find where to go to do what you need to do. You shouldn't have to call them to find out.
        
        btw: I use Lunarpages and I like them.
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misterdoug (profile), 11 Apr 2011 @ 8:41am

Mike, I think you hit the nail on the head
Part of me actually wonders if these copyright claims are just Parsons trying to stretch the longevity of the controversy a bit more.

DING! Bob Parsons is in many ways one hell of a guy. Years ago he and his wife started Parsons Software, a kitchen table business that sold bible-study and church accounting software. Their advertising featured the two of them formally dressed sitting at the table in their home amidst Early American furniture. It looked like a still from a Trinity Broadcasting show. Now years later Bob's a multi-zillionnaire bachelor guy with a shaved head and an earring. If you go on GoDaddy and watch some of his videos about how to achieve business success, you'll see that he's a very good self-promoter and a charismatic guy who seems to know what he's doing. I expect he'll shrug this off with a smile, and a wiggly hot babe on his arm.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2011 @ 9:04am

GoDaddy in one sentence
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2011 @ 9:34am
  
  Re: GoDaddy in one sentence
  sorry this is GoDaddy not the *AA offices.
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2011 @ 11:32am
  
  Re: GoDaddy in one sentence
  That's not what it says in the ad at the top of the TD page!
  
  The villians dissemble!
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sandy ceronsky, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:37am

I am 63 years old and have never left a comment before but you made me so sick I just could not stop myself. Who are you going to kill next? Your mother? Do the world a favor and get out of it.
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