Obama And Romney Each Have An Ad Disappear As The Olympics Gets Snippy About Anyone Referencing The Olympics
from the non-political-because-politics-don't-pay dept
While we've had plenty of stories about the Olympics being overly aggressive in over protecting its (loosely defined) intellectual property rights, it appears that it's now also targeting both major parties' presidential campaigns. Both Obama and Romney apparently launched commercials recently with "Olympic Themes." The Olympics then called out the Obama Super PAC campaign for supposedly infringing on its copyright. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims that it does not allow footage to be used for political purposes, though I do wonder how it deals with cases of fair use (which this may or may not be). Either way, soon after that a Romney ad that also had an Olympics theme (both ads used footage of Romney in his role as CEO of the Olympic Organizing Committee for the Salt Lake City Olympics a decade ago) went offline as well.One would hope that -- yet again -- these stories get the campaigns interested in the ways in which copyright law can restrict certain forms of speech. No matter who you support for President, the idea that neither major candidate can reference the Olympics seems absurd. Yes, the Olympics doesn't want to be associated with politics (for obvious reasons), but that's a moral rights issue, and in the US, such moral rights don't apply to (most) forms of copyright (and definitely don't apply in this case). What's left, then, is that the two campaigns are limited in their ability to express themselves freely. That seems like a serious issue, but one which it's likely the two campaigns will mostly (unfortunately) ignore.
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Filed Under: barack obama, copyright, mitt romney, olympics, politics
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Enough is enough!
I'm getting really fed up with this because while I'm a believer in IPR, this type of treatment is insane! It makes those of us who support IP look bad and gives ammunition to the copyright abolitionists...
Just a sorry state of affairs...
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http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2012/07/25/a_4693005.shtml
It's not about not wanting to be associated with politics. It's about corporatism & getting every potential penny they can from their IPR, whether in reasonable manner or unreasonable manner.
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It will probably not turn out as you hope.
In all likelihood, the politicians will push for a new law allowing campaigners to not be restricted, not a reform that will apply to all of us.
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Rest assured, if they weren't so smug and self-confident of their unjustifiable political leverage world-wide, the IOC would be making arguments about this being all about the athletes.
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I hate the olympics
If they keep this up, I won't be the only one feeling this way.
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Fuck the [REDACTED] and their dickhead policies.
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How they deal with fair use
Both campaigns make the political decision that they don't want to be tangling in public with the Olympic committee, so they grit their teeth and take it.
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Probably, both candidates will be well paid to shut up and follow with their petty campaigns.
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The ones with dual-citizenship, of course, boy.
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Politics Not Copyright
I suspect the decision is a simple political calculation. Even if you are correct getting into a public fight with the Olympics is just a bad political move. The IOC, especially by talking about other legal systems with moral rights can easily make the fight confusing enough that the average voter only takes away 'that candidate is wrangling with the Olympics.'
I doubt any of the ads are so powerful that it's worth that risk.
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Also just because the IOC has no remedy in US courts doesn't mean they can't take any action. They could always penalize US athletes, try and bring treaty pressure to bear etc.. etc..
The US can't stand as the loan bastion against this ridiculous institution of moral rights. We need to work to convince the rest of the world that it's a harmful notion that restricts freedom.
The only case for copyright is to IP the creation of intellectual goods. Indeed, if you go back to Locke copyright is in clear tension with the idea of property rights. Our entire culture is based on reuse of ideas in ways their creators disapproved of but if they feel strongly enough they have a simple response, don't sell their works.
(Note, moral rights are different than provisions designed to ensure compensation for authors whose works were sold off before they had bargaining power...that is an economic matter and a different discussion).
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And, a politican who had to be bailed out with an infusion of Federal money!
REAL business skills, at work there, Mittens!
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Re: Enough is enough!
bob, Yellow AC and all other trolls, please learn with him. Thank you.
And, as a person that believes the middle ground to be the solution (I'm not pro nor anti-copyright) I agree with you.
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Re: Politics Not Copyright
Using snippets of "...copyrighted speeches and content and all sorts of other protected IP from their opponents." is fair use.
Totally-legal.
Re-editing it, like the Rom-nuts are doing, is unethical, but not illegal.
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Surely you don't mean that giant commercially sponsored B.S.-fest going on in England.
Does anyone actually give a damn about them?
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Re: Re: Politics Not Copyright
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Re: It will probably not turn out as you hope.
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Re: Re: Re: Politics Not Copyright
Did you really put that qualifier on the actions of a political campaign. You sir are a humor ninja!
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Ads
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Re: Re: Re: Politics Not Copyright
Distorting the truth is what all American campaign ads are all about now a days. Fair use or not, it would make the rest of the US look bad, not our stupid leaders.
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Re: I hate the olympics
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Re: Politics Not Copyright
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Them's the Rules!
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Of course they are. Advertisers can demand all kinds of insane restrictions, but none of them can force the IOC to go along.
The problem is the unbridled greed and corruption of the IOC. that said, I am making it a point to avoid purchasing any product or service that is an Olympic sponsor. Birds of a feather and all that.
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I disagree. The whole point of the Olympics is to rake it huge mountains of money. Period.
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Re: I hate the olympics
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