CreativeAmerica Copies Content To Support Anti-Copying Bills

from the please,-we-prefer-remix dept

Tue, Jan 10th 2012 12:06pm — Mike Masnick

Remember CreativeAmerica? That's the pro-SOPA/PIPA astroturf group that the big Hollywood studios set up, pretending that it was a "grassroots" campaign (even though its grassroots efforts aren't turning up many supporters). For a group that positions itself as being really strongly pro-stronger, more draconian copyright, you would think that it would be careful to, you know, not copy others, right? But, really, what's a little copying among people lobbying over bills about the evils of copying?

Yes, it appears that the good folks at CreativeAmerica just happened to notice that the large and growing anti-SOPA/PIPA forces have mobilized the public to go out to various town hall meetings for Senators to protest PIPA... and they decided, "Hey, we should do that!" But, rather than creating their own campaign, and doing the legwork (and, trust me, there's a lot of legwork involved) to actually compile the list of townhalls and then to craft an email to supporters... it seems that CreativeAmerica thought it would be easier to just copy someone else's... and... um... "remix" it.

You can see the email that Public Knowledge sent to people protesting PIPA here. And, here is the email that CreativeAmerica just sent to people urging them to go to the same town hall meetings in support of PIPA. You... may notice some similarities. Here are the two emails side by side. Yes, they made some changes.... er... remixes... but it's pretty obvious that CreativeAmerica just took PK's email and made a few edits. It's especially obvious when you look at the 3 point list of instructions... which is almost word-for-word.

click for larger version As for the two meetup groups... you can see Public Knowledge's town hall meetup here and you can see CreativeAmerica's here. It seems pretty clear that CreativeAmerica simply scraped and copied PK's. So creative!

Of course, we have no problem with this general kind of building on the works of others. We consider such remixing and building on the works of others a true form of creativity. We just find it a wee bit (well, actually, more than that) hypocritical for an organization set up by the big movie studios for the express purpose of pushing for heftier punishment for those who copy... to then go and copy stuff themselves. Paraphrasing the critics in our own comments: What's wrong, CreativeAmerica, can't you create your own works here? Why do you have to "steal" the work of other people who actually did the work?

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Filed Under: copying, hypocrisy, pipa, protect ip, sopa, townhalls
Companies: creativeamerica, public knowledge

25 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:16pm

Set phasers to DMCA Takedown!
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Christopher Weigel (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:17pm

While generally I'm heavily opposed to copyright infringement litigation...
In this case, I advocate a policy of "live by the sword, die by the sword".
Sue that astroturf into oblivion.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:19pm

"Paraphrasing the critics in our own comments: What's wrong, CreativeAmerica, can't you create your own works here? Why do you have to "steal" the work of other people who actually did the work?"

LOL. Priceless.

Or should I say, "Yeah, figures Pirate Mike would just steal someone else's words in an intellectually dishonest attempt to steer the conversation away from piracy, which is the real problem here. Not what the studios may or may not be doing to solve the problem. The sky is falling the sky is falling! Oh Mike, you're desperation is showing when you're grasping at straws such as this."

Jk. Keep it up. The hypocrisy shown by the studios and some of the ACs is always worth pointing out for those not aware of it to see.
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Mesonoxian Eve (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:26pm

Imagine, briefly, if SOPA were already in law.

Public Knowledge could take down every website associated with this rogue site, and have payments stopped from every legitimate source.

As ugly as it would be, the other side will have the same options.

Instead, all they have now is that pesky copyright light. Break out the lawyers, the DMCA, and see what happens when the dust settles.

Fight stupidity with stupidity, I say!
(I really don't)
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TMudderDC (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:26pm

Just in case you want further proof
Confirmation that our email from Public Knowledge went out on 1/6: http://twitpic.com/85puqr
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:34pm

Re: To quote Scott Adams
Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. But you still don't want to get any on you.
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jupiterkansas (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

United Against Content Theft (but only of OUR content)
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AJ (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:42pm

I love the smell of Troll ego boiling in the morning ..... it smells like... victory...
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Violated (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:43pm

Not a surprise
Creative-America have just won themselves free membership to the Church of Kopimism through demonstrating use of the holy CTRL+C and CTRL+V symbols.

Congratulations to Creative-America for proving how good ideas tend to be copied throughout society.
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Richard (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 12:43pm

Re:
Cargo cult comment
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TtfnJohn (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 1:25pm

Following their use of said key combinations they get ordained as Deacons simply for the sheer cheek of it all.

If course, everything Public Knowledge writes in the public domain, right? Right? Hey someone answer us!
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Justin Olbrantz (Quantam), 10 Jan 2012 @ 1:42pm

Re:
Not to worry! We all know it's only theft when individuals do it for non-commercial purposes. When copyright industry and companies and anti-piracy organizations do it, frequently for commercial purposes, it's just business as usual.

Nothing to see here; move along.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 2:18pm

Re:
"you're desperation is showing when you're grasping at straws such as this."

It's "...YOUR desperation is showing...", you illiterate clod.
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Liz (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 2:44pm

It wouldn't be plagiaristic copying if they used more than one source. That way it would be considered "research."
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 3:03pm

Re: Re:
I misspelled a word. Boo freaking hoo. You still understood what I was saying. Did my words upset you because they sound like something you would say? Or did you not get that I was being sarcastic?
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ECA (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 3:04pm

something stupid.
Its been debated before that many sites GRAB and use others formats..

NOW back to something completely different.

Lets get a few thoughts into this.
1. Lower populations states SUCK, as we dont have that much representation..only 13 states will be monitored.
2. those that show up to contest, will be derided, and over spoken, as not to get their comments in.
3. who will do it..the corps that want this past. Where? in those 13 states..
4. then only those numbers of CONTESTANT, will be counted as a national average. 10,000 in those 13 states will be the number of Persons contesting the bill...NOT from the other 37 states.
5. also to think about. what would it take to have a PAID/rep in the position of your representatives office..
Some idiot that gets paid(under the table, in the background) to make things disappear..esp for certain MAIN reps? A special envoy, that can intercept much of the news/letters/fax/data YOUR REP is supposed to use...
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 3:04pm

So you are coming out against mash-ups, remixes, sampling, and satire? I thought immitation was the most sincere form of flattery.
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Suja (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 3:09pm

Re: Re:
yuppers just more and more typical pro-copyright/IP behavior zzz just more reasons to oppose said laws
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Justin Olbrantz (Quantam), 10 Jan 2012 @ 4:15pm

Re:
It all depends on who you ask. Sites like TechDirt would say yes, there's no problem with those. Sites like CreativeAmerica would say no, that's copyright infringement; and since the latter seem to be the ones who make the laws...

Basically it's a case of live by your sword, die by your sword.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jan 2012 @ 4:57pm

Re:
Nice try to somehow spin this other way round. Anti-Copying Bills have been routinely used against mash-ups, remixes, sampling and satire. Using mash-ups, remixes, sampling and satire to garner support for them isn't flattery. It's hypocrisy.
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Al Bert (profile), 10 Jan 2012 @ 5:15pm

Totally understandable mistake
Oh but how are they to have known that email wasn't covered by part of their IP portfolio? You have to understand, they're used to obtaining content and rights from creators for little or nothing and requiring the rest of the world to sort out the details like whether or not they actually own anything. It's easy to make such mistakes.
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PaulT (profile), 11 Jan 2012 @ 1:27am

Re: Re: Re:
"did you not get that I was being sarcastic"

1. If you were joking originally, why are you so upset by a minor and valid grammar correction.

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law is very much in effect here.
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PaulT (profile), 11 Jan 2012 @ 1:46am

Re:
"So you are coming out against mash-ups, remixes, sampling, and satire?"

No, he's coming out against hypocrisy and plagiarism. Maybe you should buy a dictionary?
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Mike Masnick (profile), 11 Jan 2012 @ 3:32am

Re:
So you are coming out against mash-ups, remixes, sampling, and satire?

Here's what I said: "Of course, we have no problem with this general kind of building on the works of others. We consider such remixing and building on the works of others a true form of creativity. We just find it a wee bit (well, actually, more than that) hypocritical for an organization set up by the big movie studios for the express purpose of pushing for heftier punishment for those who copy... to then go and copy stuff themselves."

How you get one from the other only speaks to your inability to comprehend basic logic. #readingcomprehensionfailure
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Philip Beyer Wood, 24 Jan 2012 @ 3:04pm

Creative?
The only creativity that is at stake here is the 1% Parasites propaganda to convince the 99% that they are actually concerned with the "little" peoples' jobs which would be laughable were it not so evil. Before they stand a chance of convincing any thinking person of their legitimacy they will have to Stop destroying Jobs in America replacing them with slave labor in third world countries for pennies a day where the people have no protection from Vultures such as themselves. What Amazes me most about them and their kind is the fact that they take up the front row in Churches when they can't possibly believe in an afterlife let alone a God, Heaven or Hell. If they did they wouldn't be able to sleep at night. As it is as long as their pillows are stuffed with their ill begotten gains at the expense of their fellow beings they sleep just fine. Jesus said that what you do unto the least of thy brethren you do unto him! But hey, their thoughts on the subject, who is This Jesus Character anyway? What does he know or even matter!
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