Success! Sita Sings the Blues Once Again Viewable on German Youtube

from the better-than-lawyers dept

Mon, Jul 18th 2011 4:33pm — Nina Paley

After one or two (or more?) years of being blocked on German Youtube, the full-length noncommercial Sita Sings the Blues movie is once again viewable in Deutschland:

I assume this is because last week I posted this video, complaining about why my 100% legal and painstakingly and expensively licensed movie was blocked in Germany:

Apparently many Germans are none too pleased with GEMA themselves, as indicated by interesting comments here. Some industry shills weighed in as well, but it looks like popular sentiment is against them. The story was shared widely, including in Der Spiegel and the New York Times online editions.

It's not clear how an American YouTube user is supposed to contest takedowns in Germany. When I was in Berlin recently, it was suggested I find a German lawyer to take some sort of action. At the very least, I would need someone in Germany to contest the takedown on my behalf. I imagine that would have been a slow and possibly expensive process. Then I thought of making this video. Although it took some work (writing a statement -- yes I know it's an imperfect statement, I did the best I could with the knowledge I had -- shooting the video, recording the audio via a separate mic, transferring files, editing, compressing, etc.), it was less work than managing an international legal process. And it got results fast! Better still, it contributed to ongoing debates about GEMA and Intellectual Pooperty in general.

My thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about this, and especially people in Germany who checked the Sita Sings the Blues URL and confirmed when the movie was blocked, and when it was unblocked.

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Filed Under: disputes, germany, nina paley, performance rights, sita sings the blues
Companies: gema, google, youtube

33 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2011 @ 5:01pm

Yup, and now perhaps you can move on from a 4 year old movie and do something new and original. Wait, have you ever done anything truly original?
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illuminaut, 18 Jul 2011 @ 5:11pm

Re:
You must be the same AC who claimed the protest video wouldn't achieve anything. I'm impressed by your persistence, but a little bit worried about your Nina obsession. It's not very healthy.
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FuzzyDuck, 18 Jul 2011 @ 5:24pm

Re:
@AC: I know one person who has *never* created anything original... you can see him (or her) in the mirror.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2011 @ 5:31pm

Re:
http://www.techdirt.com/user/ninapaley

Seems like her recent content is fairly extensive, and that's just on Techdirt alone.
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Rekrul, 18 Jul 2011 @ 7:22pm

Congratulations! I've never watched Sita Sings the Blues (frankly it didn't look appealing to me), but I hate the entire idea of regional blocking.
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 18 Jul 2011 @ 8:41pm

Re: Score
Deft is your wielding of your Wand of Cheap Shots +2.

Unfortunately, such a weapon is only effective against Artists at Level 10 or below, and other such Ogres with a predominant thin-skinned salient.

Nina, on the other hand, is an Artist-Dragon at level 27, with a skin covered in plates of titanium steel. She airily brushes your spell aside, causing it to rebound back at you.

Your credibility, already low, drops into negative territory. Which cannot exist. Which means you cannot exist. So you die, disappearing in a puff of humiliation.

Resurrect as a new Anonymous Coward, Y/N?
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Kaden (profile), 18 Jul 2011 @ 9:03pm

Re:
Here's a call out, dude... what have you ever done that's original and creative.

Put up or shut up, okay?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2011 @ 9:28pm

Good news for once!
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Zot-Sindi, 18 Jul 2011 @ 9:57pm

Re:
"have you ever done anything truly original?"

have YOU? i doubt it
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Zot-Sindi, 18 Jul 2011 @ 9:58pm

Re: Re:
PS. since you're using the english language to call her out, you are automatically disqualified from even answering that question beyond NO, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2011 @ 10:03pm

Re: Re: Re:
OR using a forum to call her out, calling her out/trolling in the first place, typing on a keyboard, using a computer, breathing my air, DAYMN, you are one unoriginal bastard
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2011 @ 10:08pm

Re:
You sound like a broken recording industry.
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Jeremy2020 (profile), 18 Jul 2011 @ 10:56pm

Re:
I like that you're willing to anonymously shout that. Put up or shut up.

I think it should be a new rule that everyone who clamors about 'protecting artists' and stopping people from abusing other people's work should have to show their own work.

How many of these people so very concerned about ensuring artists can make a living are making their own living off of these same artists?
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The eejit (profile), 18 Jul 2011 @ 11:09pm

Re:
GTFO of my Universe, you mooch.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 1:23am

Re:
What's really hilarious is that this commenter is the exact same one who wrote this:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110714/00141315084/why-sita-sings-blues-is-perfectly-leg al-germany-you-still-cant-watch-it-youtube.shtml#c193

"Informing all of the people outside of Germany will do nothing. It's a fail. Getting a bunch of people on a blog (targetting the US, as Mike Masnick has recently said) upset about something happening in Germany sure isn't going to do much."

Hilarious stuff.

Now watch him try to talk his way out of it.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 2:27am

Nethack style
You zap your Wand of Cheap Shots +2 at Nina.
The beam bounce off Nina!
You feel less credible.
Your credibility is critically low.
You zap your Wand of Cheap Shots +2 at Nina.
The beam bounce off Nina!
You feel less credible.
Your credibility is gone. You cease to exist.
You die...
Do you want your possessions identified?
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 19 Jul 2011 @ 3:02am

Re: Nethack style
How dare you shamelessly steal my IP ... and do it better. :)
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 3:31am

Re:
Finally, someone with a real insightful comment, and not this fanboy or hateboy crap. Well done sir.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 5:10am

Re: Re:
Seeing that you're such a good invader of privacy, Masnick, maybe you can solve the mystery of who pays Nina Paley's rent in Manhattan?

Because she doesn't.
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The eejit (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 5:56am

Re: Re: Re:
I do. And I do. And I do. Didn't you know, I'm Nina's invisible magician!

Oh, wait, you were serious.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 0/10
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 6:41am

I love the use of the word Pooperty
I hope it was intentional
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 7:17am

Re: Re:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_to_moderation
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HothMonster, 19 Jul 2011 @ 7:52am

Re: Re: Re:
why would you think your public IP address is private? You know the one you go around flashing to every website you see?
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 8:33am

Re: Re:
Mike, two things:

1) When someone posts as anonymous, you should learn to respect it.

2) The end result is the same - it's only people inside Germany that made a difference. I don't see anyone from Iowa made a huge difference in this case.

There is nothing to talk my way out of. However, you have a bit of explaining to do as to why you allow anonymous commenting, and then violate that same anonymous status when it suits you.

Start squirming.
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Kaden (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 8:49am

Re: Re: Re:
Still calling you out, Sparky... show us your original creative output.

Put up or shut up.

Start squirming.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 8:57am

Re: Re: Re:
1) When someone posts as anonymous, you should learn to respect it.

I did respect it. I did not reveal who you were at all. I know because the tone is exactly the same. Look, dude, it's not difficult to figure out you're the same person day in and day out.

2) The end result is the same - it's only people inside Germany that made a difference. I don't see anyone from Iowa made a huge difference in this case.

Wriggle wriggle squirm wriggle. You insisted that posting this towards an American audience would have no impact. I pointed out directly to you that by posting it to an American audience, it was likely that it would also get attention in Germany, which is exactly what happened.

You were dead wrong and everyone can see it and you can't even admit it.

There is nothing to talk my way out of. However, you have a bit of explaining to do as to why you allow anonymous commenting, and then violate that same anonymous status when it suits you.

What identifying information did I reveal about you? None.
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HothMonster, 19 Jul 2011 @ 9:07am

Re: Re: Re:
He did respect your anonymity, I don't know your name or your IP address. I do know for certain that you have some hatred for Nina and that you don't care how many times you sound like an idiot trying to call her stupid.

You still maintained your anonymity.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2011 @ 10:31am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Mike, anonymous is anonymous. There should be no link between posts, and you as the administrator should respect that. If you want everyone to have a name and be ID'ed for every post, make it mandatory. Your anonymous posting isn't really anonymous is it?

What indentifying information did you reveal? Only that this post and that post are from the same person. You don't have to mention my name (even though you know it) to break the anonymous trust.

Seeing how you treat anonymous posters sort of makes it clear how much you are willing to push the truth just to get your way.

Posting to an American audience had no impact. I was not wrong about it. Posting it only in Germany or only addressing a German audience would have given the same result.

So sorry, but I am not wrong. What did posting to a US audience do, exactly? Was it what was on your specific blog that did it, or Nina's endless media spewing that got it attention in the right country, exactly as I suggested she should do?

So, exactly, what information do you retain on each post? Why is that information kept? Can you point me to the Techdirt privacy page, you know, the one linked from your main page?
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 11:05am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Mike, anonymous is anonymous.

And you are no less anonymous now than when you posted your original ridiculously stupid and horrendously wrong comment.

Your anonymous posting isn't really anonymous is it?

Yes. It is. I have no clue who you are, other than that it's easy to tell you're the same guy who posts the same totally clueless stuff every day. Everyone can tell from the same total lack of logic.

What indentifying information did you reveal? Only that this post and that post are from the same person

Hi. Let's try this again. What *identifying* information did we reveal?

Posting to an American audience had no impact. I was not wrong about it. Posting it only in Germany or only addressing a German audience would have given the same result.

You can't honestly believe that can you? And you can't honestly believe that saying it means anyone else believes you?

So, exactly, what information do you retain on each post? Why is that information kept? Can you point me to the Techdirt privacy page, you know, the one linked from your main page

If you can't find it, well, that says a lot more about you than me.
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Marcus Carab (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 11:10am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Without getting involved in the question of whether or not Mike has somehow violated your rights, I'm curious about something: why is it that don't you want there to be any link between your posts? Is it just so you don't have to admit it when you make blatantly incorrect statements, as you did in this case?
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 11:14am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
You don't have to mention my name (even though you know it)

I missed this part in my original reply. I do not know your name. I only know your style. If you think I know you're name, I'm very confused as to why.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Jul 2011 @ 11:40pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Ah look who never replied.

Since he won't follow up, I'll just reiterate: the very definition of personally identifiable information, as used in various laws around the world, is pretty specific that it has to include information such as a name *in conjunction* with additional identifying information that singles out who an individual is.

In fact, some of the laws have specific points that note that if you reveal some information -- such as first name and age -- that doesn't reveal who the person is, that person is still very much considered anonymous.

No one reading this site has any more knowledge about who you are based on my comments at all. All it showed was -- as anyone who reads your comments can tell -- that you have a singularly ridiculous style in how you comment, and it's easy to put your comments together.

In fact, if I did know your name, which I do not, I could state it here and based on the standard definitions of anonymity and personally identifiable information you would (a) still be anonymous and (b) I would not have revealed any PII.

So, seriously, try harder.
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PatrickDickey (profile), 24 Jul 2011 @ 2:31pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Posting to an American audience had no impact. I was not wrong about it. Posting it only in Germany or only addressing a German audience would have given the same result.

So sorry, but I am not wrong. What did posting to a US audience do, exactly? Was it what was on your specific blog that did it, or Nina's endless media spewing that got it attention in the right country, exactly as I suggested she should do?

This is the portion of your dribble that I wanted to comment on. Posting to an American Audience probably got the New York Times interested, which consequently posted it to an even larger audience (worldwide). It would be a safe assumption that someone in the German Government monitors news agencies for articles relating back to Germany. They may have seen this, and forwarded it onto the proper authorities in Germany, who realized that they screwed up.

Probably didn't happen. But, it may have. While it seems unlikely that any of this happened, YOU cannot prove that it didn't happen this way.

Have a great day:)
Patrick.

P.S. On the rant about anonymity, you're not anonymous. Not because he called you out, but because you never change your style. If I wanted to (and I really don't), I could go through other sites that you post to, and find your comments. I'd probably be about 90% to 95% accurate. And if you've ever posted with your real name, I'd be able to find that as well. It has nothing to do with him calling you out. It has everything to do with you writing in the exact same style every time (and probably saying the same things every time).
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