Premier League Uses Copyright To Pull Down YouTube Video Of Professor Advocating For Stronger Copyright For Premier League

from the circular-reasoning dept

Wed, Sep 3rd 2014 12:33pm — Mike Masnick

Via Bas Grasmayer we learn that the English Premier League and its insane take on copyrights has struck again. We've written many times before about the Premier League and its wacky belief that every possible use of its content must be licensed. Just a few weeks ago, it said that it would start taking down animated gifs and 6-second Vine videos of goals, even though it knew this would piss off fans. Still, the Premier League said it had to do this because "copyright."

The Institute for Information Law (IViR) recently held its Information Influx event, and it included a panel discussion on "Who Owns the World Cup?" discussing the very question of copyright and sports clips. IViR put video of all the sessions online, but if you go visit the "Who Owns the World Cup" video, you'll see this instead:

Yes, that's right, the entire video of a discussion on the copyright issues around sharing tiny clips of football/soccer videos was taken down by the Premier League, because one of the panelists showed a brief clip to raise some of the questions concerning copyright issues.

Amazingly, it appears that the only clips of Premier League matches were shown in a presentation by Prof. Lionel Bently who was arguing in favor of stronger copyright protection for sporting events. As Thomas Margoni from IViR explains in his post about this, this seems like an "own goal" for the Premier League, abusing copyright law to censor a legal discussion in which the "offender" is advocating on their own behalf:

It is not unlikely that the FA Premier League requested the removal on a semi-automatic basis without really watching the video (a sort of good faith mistake) and hopefully YouTube will reinstate the video soon. In spite of the abovementioned brilliant intervention by a leading IP scholar arguing in favor of more (copyright) protection for sporting events, I am inclined to say that right now, looking at the disconsolate face that appears instead of the video on the blocked YouTube webpage, sports organizers have enough rights as it is.

Not so much a penalty as an own goal.

But, you know, gotta take it down, because "copyright."

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: censorship, copyright, lionel bently, own goal, soccer, sporting events, takedowns, youtube
Companies: ivir, premier league

22 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

NotPremiereLeague, 3 Sep 2014 @ 12:37pm

Fair use - file with a lawyer, let them spend thousands of hours and hit the league with the legal bill.

Profit.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2014 @ 12:42pm

Someone arguing for stronger copyright law, making fair use of other peoples works, and then getting taken down, the worm of copyright is eating its own tail!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
radarmonkey (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 1:06pm

Has anyone reached out to Prof. Lionel Bently to ask him how he feels being labeled a copyright thief by the Premier League? I, for one, would be interested in his reaction.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2014 @ 1:18pm

first rule of copyright club:
1: don't talk about copyright club.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Geno0wl (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 1:19pm

Wake up Goal
Now this should be a stiff wake up call to the professor in question about why harsh use of copyright is a stupid.
But who wants to bet he doesn't learn that lesson.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ofb2632 (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 1:24pm

Theft
Since so many companies use takedowns as a weapon, can't they be sued for theft? When i have a 'vine' and some entity takes that 'vine' from me, isn't that the definition of theft?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
jackn, 3 Sep 2014 @ 2:17pm

Re: Theft
a new twist on 'Theft' and copyright?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2014 @ 2:34pm

To paraphrase the old Chinese curse "May you get what you wish for."
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ofb2632 (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 2:35pm

Re: Re: Theft
Yes, it is. If they can use copyright, why can't we use 'theft'?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
orbitalinsertion (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 2:39pm

There is nothing of good faith in automated takedown notices. Sorry, Professor.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 2:57pm

Nice timing
NBC, which has been pushing the Premier League in the States ought to be pissed. (In the American sense. The Premier League is apparently pissed in the British sense.)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Guardian, 3 Sep 2014 @ 4:15pm

@6 go watch star trek
well NO cause in this case i use the replicator make the same vine and walk off with a duplicate and you are not even truly harmed....your vine grows its grapes and you get more drunk stupid
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 4:54pm

Live by the sword, die by the sword
Since the professor who had his work taken down was in favor of stronger copyright on the part of Premier League, I'm sure he sees absolutely no problem with having the video of his argument removed on copyright grounds.

Well, unless he's one of those hypocrites who sees no problem with other people's stuff being taken down, but throws a fit when the law is used against him for once...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2014 @ 6:41pm

Mike Masnick just hates it when copyright law is enforced.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
jameshogg (profile), 3 Sep 2014 @ 7:14pm

http://gifshost.com/032012/1330973730_goalkeeper_scores_wondassisted_own_goal.gif
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2014 @ 9:47pm

"Amazingly, it appears that the only clips of Premier League matches were shown in a presentation by Prof. Lionel Bently who was arguing in favor of stronger copyright protection for sporting events."

Typical IP extremists not holding themselves up to the same standards they hold everyone else up to. Hypocrites.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2014 @ 1:19am

Re:
actually, Prof. Lionel Bently in this case, as decided by the Premier League, is a willful serial copyright violator, because:

1. he knowingly and willfully included that content in his presentation

2. his presentation on this topic is presented at other meetings too. I still have not yet met a scholar who does a particular presentation on a single topic only ONCE.
When giving a presentation at multiple venues they all usually tweak it, change very few words here and there, as you would when tending a small bonsai tree, but the main content is always the same. This makes him a serial copyright violator.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2014 @ 4:16am

Re:
There once was an average joe
Who worked as an average ho
He met with Chris Dodd
Stripped down his Chris bod
And gave him an average blow
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2014 @ 8:45am

Re:
I don't know why this was flagged, I'm pretty sure this was a sarcastic post.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 4 Sep 2014 @ 6:16pm

Re: Re:
It wasn't, they post that exact same line pretty much every time 'copyright' is mentioned.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2014 @ 8:29am

Re: Re:
No, average_joe and his chucklefuck pals really are that stupid.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Abdelrahman, 23 Oct 2015 @ 5:43pm

How I can get Premier League pernission
Hello
I want to ask is there any possible way that I contact Premier League to take there permission to use it's copyrighted on youtube

Thanks
[ link to this | view in thread ]