Celine Dion Shuts Down Blog Of Ridiculous Pictures

from the publicity-rights-gone-mad dept

It's not entirely clear what's going on here, but someone anonymous has pointed us to a post on a blog that was supposedly posting "ridiculous pictures of Celine Dion" (that's the name of the blog) that says the site got a legal nastygram from Dion's lawyers, claiming infringement. They don't provide details of what they think about the site is infringing (copyright? publicity rights?), so it's tough to analyze the specific legal issues, though I can't see how they have much of a legitimate case. Either way, whoever runs the site has agreed to take it down, because the cost of defending it is too high. Of course, that's what Celine Dion's lawyers were hoping for anyway. So the blog is gone, though it did leave this one image as the avatar of the user who put together the site:
In the meantime, how thin skinned and vain a celebrity must you be to shut down a blog showing funny pictures of you? The person who ran the blog notes that it was "superfans" who were using the site, and now they're all shut out of having some fun around a celebrity they like because she's got aggressive lawyers. Sad.
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Filed Under: celine dion, censorship, infringement, ridiculous pictures


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  1. identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:53am

    So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    "the Techdirt blog uses a proven economic framework to analyze and offer insight into news stories about changes in government policy, technology and legal issues that affect companies ability to innovate and grow"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    The Incoherent One (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:55am

    Streisand Effect?

    I had never even heard of this website.... till now. She does make a lot of really goofy faces.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:55am

    "the Techdirt blog uses a proven economic framework to analyze and offer insight into news stories about changes in government policy, technology and legal issues that affect companies ability to innovate and grow"

    Emphasis mine.

    dude, I mean at least your not an anonymous troll, but you could at least be a troll with high reading comprehension.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:55am

    So, an anonymous person sent you some story about something where something happened and a site was taken down. Oh, and Celine Dion was involved. Does that sum it up?

    Come one man. Is there even a point here? I like Techdirt and all, but this one has nothing to do with anything...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Richard (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:56am

    You can still see some

    Here

    The internet never forgets...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    The Incoherent One (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 8:56am

    Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    do not feed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Dougal Campbell, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:11am

    It's the chilling effect

    But if this story was about Microsoft shutting down a site that had funny pictures of Steve Ballmer (and what picture of Ballmer *isn't* funny?), you'd be all over this, I bet. The important part of the article isn't that it's Celine Dion involved, it's that a site got shut down for so-called copyright infringement without saying what the infringements were. Was the site really infringing? I dunno. Was it fair-use? I dunno. But that's where the focus should be.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:15am

    Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    Mike will just say "it's my damn blog after all" like he always does when posting random unrelated crap out of the blue and people dare complain. So don't dare or feel the wrath of the almighty Mike.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    Marcus Carab (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:20am

    Re: Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    when posting random unrelated crap out of the blue

    You are talking to a guy so good at posting random unrelated crap that he chose the name "out of the blue"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    halley (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:22am

    Re:

    This is certainly an example of a business (from a business aspect, Celine Dion is a brand), where the business's legal staff is getting in the way of her fans. Considering the blog has an ongoing interest in (1) quashing of free speech, and (2) "connecting with fans" (CwF), I think it's just fine to discuss this. Other businesses should take this as yet another example on why the legal staff should not be driving policy or knee-jerking in ways that damages the brand.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:23am

    ripped off from somewhere...

    Celine finds out about the site and goes to talk to her lawyer. His first words when he sees her: "Why the long face, Celine?"

    The rest is history.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Marcus Carab (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:24am

    Re:

    I can see two main "points" here: another example of abusing IP law, and another example of the Streisand effect (featuring Streisand 2.0 no less)

    Those are both smack dab in the middle of Techdirt's wheelhouse. I guess there's nothing too special or new about this story, but it's hardly shocking that it was covered here, since it involves topics that are central to this blog...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:24am

    Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your character:

    "...and we absolutely, positively guarantee that we will never post anything else. Or double your money back and oral sex for everybody."

    Odd that I didn't notice the exclusionary phrase on the first reading. Or the second.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:25am

    Re: Streisand Effect?

    And now a bunch of news organizations that can afford a few lawyers got wind of it... Celine loses, and then loses some more.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Nicedoggy, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:28am

    Celine Dion the greatest mistake Canada ever made :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    charliebrown (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:29am

    Been waiting YEARS to "publish" this

    >>>Sung to the tune of "My Heart Will Go On"
    Every night in my room
    I hear it, I fear it
    The high pitched voice of Ms Dion
    They play it on the AM
    The TV, The FM
    You cannot escape this song
    Near, far, wherever you are
    You will hear this damn song** and
    This song just drags on and on

    **even though it came out almost 15 years ago now! She had better songs but the radio stations keep playing this frikken one!

    Seriously, I like Celine Dion apart from THAT song I parodied above. And taking down those pictures? Low. She clearly has the world's worst publicist or something along those lines.

    Incidentally, under section 203, that song parody is allowed to stay on this site unless the editors of the site deem otherwise. It is also "fair use" by being a parody. So too bad if Ms Dion's lawyers don't like it. Only Techdirt staff can take it down. And you can't get them in trouble if they don't! Nyah!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Ben (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:31am

    Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    ...legal issues that affect companies ability to innovate and grow

    Does seem appropriate:
    1. legal nastygram from lawyers (i.e. "legal issue")
    2. innovative blog (arguably a "company")
    3. shut down (i.e. ability to grow if not innovate).
    That seems directly in keeping with the charter you quote. Oddly, of course the whole process of shutting down the blog by Ms Dion's lawyers brings the existence of those photos to the attention of many people (myself included) who would otherwise never have been aware of them.

    Welcome the Dion effect: the new incarnation of the Streisand effect.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:34am

    she looks like a mug shot of meth heads.


    LOL

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. icon
    Comboman (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:37am

    Thin-skinned ideed

    Dion (or rather her husband/manager) is extremely thin-skinned. They once cancelled a major concert because of a slightly negative comment by a local music columnist.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    James, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:38am

    Not to defend anyone... but...

    ...this very well could be the work of her manager and she may have no real idea what this was, or that it even happened.

    Seems like this might fall under 1st amendment grounds, unless Dion owns the rights to all of those photos, and these people are making money from it.

    Personally, I remember a show a while back called, "Stars without makeup", loved it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:38am

    Re: ripped off from somewhere...

    s/Celine/Sarah Jessica Parker

    Yup, recycled but still funnay!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Howard the Duck, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:42am

    Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    Need to go bitch on government sites, replacing "charter" with "constitution".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:43am

    Re:

    "some story about something where something happened"

    Good work! You've just summed up every article on every site on the entire internet. Your point though?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    HothMonster, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:44am

    Re: Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    dont bother, he doesnt understand half of the words in his quote anyway

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Howard the Duck, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:46am

    Re:

    How much thought did you really put into that critique? I mean really? It's to find a relationship to a blog being taken down because of publicity rights, and Techdirt?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    HothMonster, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:46am

    Re: You can still see some

    wow this site looks awesome

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. icon
    charliebrown (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:46am

    Re: The Dion Effect

    If you go to that blog now, the post about it closing down is actually tagged "the dion effect"

    But "The Striesand Effect" sounds cooler IMO

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:47am

    Re:

    You just basically summed up every news item from any source.
    And yes, I'm serious about the "Celine Dion was involved" part. I'm pretty sure that if anything noteworthy happens, she is somehow involved!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. icon
    Atkray (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:55am

    Re: Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    but.

    but..

    but...


    Trolls

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 9:59am

    Is a woman who sang one song on the Titanic soundtrack really a celebrity?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:00am

    Re: Re: Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    so many stinky buts ... /sarcasm

    :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. icon
    gigglehurtz (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:05am

    Re: You can still see some

    Oh man. I should have listened to what I learned from Sadly, No! But I got out the boat. Damn your eyes! -for, um, damning mine...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. icon
    btr1701 (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:08am

    Re:

    > Oh, and Celine Dion was involved. Does that sum it up?

    Not very well, no.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. icon
    Marcus Carab (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:12am

    Re:

    Are you kidding? Because for whatever reason, Celine Dion is huge. A quick scan of Wikipedia notes the following records:

    - Best-selling female artist of all time (worldwide)
    - Second-best-selling female artist in the U.S. during the SoundScan era
    - Best-selling Canadian artist of all time
    - Best-selling French-language album of all time
    - Only female with two singles that broke 1-million copies in the UK
    - Over 200-million albums sold worldwide
    - 3 Golden Globes, 2 Oscars, 5 grammies, 12 WMAs, 7 AMAs, 7 Billboard Awards, 21 Junos, 39 Félixes

    Personally I can't stand her - but apparently a hell of a lot of people can.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:35am

    Probably a build-up of negative PR to bring her back into the limelight. As you can tell here she ain't doing much these days.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:39am

    Re: Re:

    These are my favorite kind of troll. Being tricked into admitting knowledge of Celine Dion has to be particularly galling.

    I bring you back to 1994: http://www.kibo.com/kibopost/meta_trolling.html

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. icon
    Marcus Carab (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 10:55am

    Re: Re: Re:

    LOL. It's an amusing thought, I'll grant you that. But trust me, if I was trying to hide knowledge of Celine Dion, I wouldn't have started with a detailed list of her accolades :P

    I'm a Canadian. Celine Dion is even more unavoidable here than she is in the rest of the world (every time I hear "heart will go on" playing in McDonalds I know it's going to be a bad day) so I was surprised to see someone act as though she was small potatoes. The specific stats came from Wikipedia (indeed if you look at her page there, and the page listing her awards, you will notice that my points are culled directly from the intro paragraphs)

    Sorry, I just despise inaccuracy, even when it relates to people I don't actually care about :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 11:18am

    The Internet Never Sleeps

    You can still find plenty of blogs who took from the original and posted photos. Thanks Google!

    List of the Day

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. icon
    ClarkeyBalboa (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 11:21am

    Re:

    The Canadian government has already apologized for Celine Dion on numerous occassions! Stop blaming Canada for this already!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. icon
    The Groove Tiger (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 12:33pm

    Re:

    So, someone posted something in the comments of some blog complaining about something. Oh, and an anonymous coward was involved.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:18pm

    This raises an interesting question about fair use: if one is a parody of themselves is it still possible to use the parody exception to copyright and claim fair use?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:23pm

    Re: Re:

    I hear that. For my money I don't think it gets any better than when Celine Dion sings, "When a Man Loves a Woman."
    Wait, that's not her that's Michael Bolton?
    Sorry, must have got my no-talent ass-clowns with a bunch of grammies mixed up.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. icon
    Marcus Carab (profile), 21 Jul 2011 @ 1:44pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Sorry, must have got my no-talent ass-clowns with a bunch of grammies mixed up.

    Haha, favourite TD quote of the day :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jul 2011 @ 2:13pm

    Re: Re: Re: So sad. So important. So in keeping with your charter:

    haha, I didn't even notice. Awesome.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. identicon
    Anonymous Jack, 21 Jul 2011 @ 4:10pm

    Jackface

    Thank the gods Jackface is still available! Hooray for teh innertubez!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. identicon
    Anonymous Troll, 21 Jul 2011 @ 4:18pm

    Ease of Posting

    1. Oh so Mike thinks something about something.
    2. Mike is always wrong about everything.
    3. Mike has no business writing his own blog.
    4. Anything Mike says is automatically wrong.
    5. I'm smarter than Mike on every subject.
    6. I like to use Mike's name while posting anonymously because I learned that in Power Speaking For Manipulation class. When I feel really withering I call him "Mikey" just to prove how mature I am compared to Mike, which is why you should listen to my unsupported accusations and fuzzy, meaningless jabs on every single Techdirt article.

    There. Now you can just cut and paste and save your wrists from carpal tunnel.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. identicon
    dwg, 22 Jul 2011 @ 9:57am

    Re:

    Right-ho. Please stick to posts that relate only to illegible legislation and deep technical issues in the future. Wouldn't want to make the tent any bigger by including IP-RELATED articles that might be relevant/interesting to the 99% of humanity that can't or don't want to read things in the first two categories. Better to keep things just among us and dictate what the other 99% should do--after all, we know better.

    /S/.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. identicon
    Kevin Carson, 23 Jul 2011 @ 12:37am

    Another Reason to Hate Her

    I remember a while back seeing a trailer for an episode of "Touched by an Uncle," or whatever that stupid fucking show was, with Celine Dion as a guest star. My immediate reaction was "where's a crazed gunman when you need him?"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    hugh williams, 24 Jul 2011 @ 3:44pm

    shame alot of the small sites get bullied into closing down

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jul 2011 @ 5:30pm

    he has his charter to seem professional, but really he just blogs about any crap he can, and uses the its my blog opinion site to justify his own ranting

    link to this | view in thread ]


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