CNN Uses Copyright To Block Viral Clip Of Van Jones' Impassioned Statement

from the can't-have-people-hear-that-without-paying-cnn dept

This election year may have been something of a clusterfuck for just about everyone... but it was damn good for CNN. The cable news channel that was generally filled with some of the most idiotic and meaningless banter made out like a bandit, apparently bringing in a billion dollars in profit by being the country's official organ player in a grand circus of political entertainment. The hiring of direct partisans on both sides, the failure to do very much actual deep looking at anything, and the complete pointlessness of whatever a Wolf Blitzer is all seemed to delight in turning anything about issues into horse race he said/she said soundbites.

And now it's being an annoying copyright asshole too.

As you may have heard, on election night, as the results rolled in, Clinton surrogate Van Jones made a very impassioned speech about the very real fear that he and many others felt about the results. It's worth watching.
And CNN is really pissed off if you watch that without adding another stack of pennies to their billion dollar profits.
“CNN views this as a violation of our intellectual property rights,” said Andrew Morse, executive vice president of editorial for CNN, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.’s Turner. “We take that very seriously. The video was used without attribution or permission. We are currently exploring our options with regards to NowThis, Facebook and Twitter.”
To be fair, it looks like CNN's main focus is on a specific operation -- NowThis -- which was sharing the clip and was able to get more Facebook and Twitter shares of the video than CNN's own team. But, really, what does that say about CNN's social media operations -- that they let some other third-party get the jump on them and better promote their own videos? Is it infringement? It's possible, though I think there's a strong fair use argument there as well. But either way, that's not even the point. Here was a chance to actually share a rare "real" rather than plastic moment on CNN with lots and lots of people, and CNN was so focused on how it directly impacted their bottom line that they had to shut it down for anyone getting attention for it that wasn't CNN directly.
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Filed Under: copyright, election, fair use, profits, van jones, video clip
Companies: cnn, nowthis


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:17am

    Emotional blather based on lies

    This is case in point why the left lost. Their lies are no longer working. Their fear is no long working. Their name calling and labeling are no longer working. They have cried wolf too much.

    Go to Wikileaks and read what the DNC think of minorities. Look for the phrase "taco bowl". Look at the condescending attitude of the liberal elites to middle America. Watch the video below to see their condescending attitude toward minorities.

    My fear is the left will not figure out why they lost and will continue their false gender war, race war and class war. Come to the table and talk ideas or keep suffering defeat (see link below).

    http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jan/25/cokie-roberts/have-democrats-lost -900-seats-state-legislatures-o/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odB1wWPqSlE

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:35am

    Left did not lose ... anti-establishment won

    People voted Barack Obama because it was assumed as black man he *must* be a political outsider. He campaigned with "Change we can believe in". What a disappointment.

    Trump is an outsider, had to fight the establishment to stay on the ticket, and it's hoped he will clean political house. Likely he will be a bigger disappointment but at least he is an outsider.

    With a bit more organization, and ignoring the clowns in the MTM, maybe we can build infrastructure outside the mainstream to get this right sometime in the future.

    Who could possibly have believed Clinton was the chosen one?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    testcore (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:36am

    Understanding a Wolf Blitzer

    A Wolf Blitzer is similar to the 'veejays' from 90's era MTV. Only instead of hosting music videos, it's obnoxious commercials for pills that will ruin your life.

    Wolf Blitzers are easily identified by their catchphrase, "We'll be right back after these messages".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:40am

    Re: Left did not lose ... anti-establishment won

    You are part right but read the Politifact link above to see the left actually is losing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    orbitalinsertion (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:50am

    "Without attribution". Except the freaking CNN logo that is plastered on the screen every second, in case you don't know what channel you were watching. If i posted it i would add a click through to the original source... assuming that CNN, in this case, had the damn clip posted themselves and it wouldn't disappear in a week.

    The problem is that people like their aggregated news and whatever feeds and sites. If you don't know how to monetize your aggregated content, if you truly must, then that is your problem, regardless as to whether use is infringing or not.

    If all sites were not so hellishly heavy, people would be more inclined to visit more individual sites. Business drove this, and now people, aside from being too lazy to really delve into anything most of the time, or even click through, or read past a headline or blurb, are much more reluctant to try and load one more overbearing page that might hang the browser or app and will stick with one of their preferred aggregators (and aggregators of aggregators of aggregators...), however good or bad they may be.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 12:41pm

    CNN was relevant again for all of 5 minutes but they are making sure that won't last.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. icon
    art guerrilla (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 1:56pm

    van jones ? ? ?

    isn't he the faux liberal who does commercials for scumbag payday loansharks, and a mediawhore to boot ? ? ?
    i care what a shill for payday loansharks says ? ? ?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    Oninoshiko (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 2:04pm

    Re:

    well not only did they not attribute it, but they clearly violated CNN's trademark!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 2:49pm

    CNN = Clinton News Network

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 3:52pm

    Van Jones is acting like a whiney little bitch

    This was NOT a whitelash. This wasn't about racism. To those protesting and throwing a fucking fit in the streets, I say this "Where were you when the DNC screwed Bernie?". If I'd had the choice between Trump and Bernie, I would've voted for Bernie. Instead, Democrats just all laid down and let it happen. Thusly, I was left with no choice at all. Clinton was NOT an option. This is YOUR OWN FAULT!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2016 @ 4:15pm

    Re:

    If I only had the time.....
    Take that clip, edit out anything CNN, replace it with WAP ( Without Attribution or Permission ) put some other stuff on there like a ruling ticker saying crao like "WAP, where news goes to die" "WAP working hard to CNN ( Cover up Network News)"

    Post my transformative parody and tell them to enjoy.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Average Confused Liberal, 11 Nov 2016 @ 4:37pm

    Re: Van Jones is acting like a whiney little bitch

    Clinton not an option?! What, can't vote for a woman? You're a misogynistic pig trying to keep women down!

    White men have been presidents for centuries, finally we get a black one, next we needed a white woman and then a black woman. Then we can get a gay black Jew into office. Personally I'm waiting for the gay transgender hermaphrodite interracial African Chinese Indian Latino former Christian turned atheist to get elected president. Who could pass up voting for that?!

    When Dr. King was fighting for civil rights some asshole racist said something like judge people by their character not their appearance. I'm glad King was there to point out that it should be the other way around!

    I voted for Obama because he's was black, I voted for Clinton because she was a woman. If you voted for their opponents that makes you a misogynist racist!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Matt Bennett (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 7:34pm

    Van Jones is a racist. Full stop.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Tor Land Dump, 11 Nov 2016 @ 8:12pm

    AGGRAVATED news...

    Fixed that for you..

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Tor Land Dump, 11 Nov 2016 @ 8:13pm

    Continuously Negative News

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    Padpaw (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 9:53pm

    Re: Left did not lose ... anti-establishment won

    probably the people acting like it's the end of the world now that she has lost.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Padpaw (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 9:57pm

    Re: Re: Van Jones is acting like a whiney little bitch

    why stop there why not elect a duck, unless you are a speciest.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Mike Masnick (profile), 11 Nov 2016 @ 11:01pm

    Odd

    This is a story about copyright claims.

    And yet all the comments are from people whining about stuff totally unrelated to the story because they want to get political. No one gives a shit if you like the people in the video. That has nothing to do with this story. You look foolish commenting on that.

    Stop it. Go off to some other site. There was nothing political about this post.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2016 @ 1:59am

    CNN joined the Trumpsuckers for profit

    Which is why of course they put a paid member of rapist Trump's staff on their payroll. I can only hope all of those responsible kill themselves: certainly anyone who supports Trump should. They don't deserve to live on a planet with decent people.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Unanimous Cow Herd, 12 Nov 2016 @ 5:02am

    Re: Odd

    Way to Connect with Fans, Masnick.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 12 Nov 2016 @ 5:12am

    Re: Emotional blather based on lies

    Come to the table and talk ideas or keep suffering defeat

    Who the hell would they talk to? Like the UK, modern US politics is based on selecting whichever faeces-throwing primate is left least odoriferous when the music stops. Any table in the middle of that is undoubtedly going to be covered in shit.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2016 @ 5:18am

    Re: Odd

    "As you may have heard, on election night, as the results rolled in, Clinton surrogate Van Jones made a very impassioned speech about the very real fear that he and many others felt about the results. It's worth watching."

    What did you think the comments section was going to look like?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2016 @ 11:45am

    Blatant case of fair use.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    PRMan, 12 Nov 2016 @ 7:16pm

    Re: Re: Emotional blather based on lies

    All of Hillary's TV commercials were talking about how horrible Trump is.

    All of Donald's commercials were about how America can be great again.

    One of those messages was better received by the American public.

    Only one candidate was flinging feces.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    PRMan, 12 Nov 2016 @ 7:17pm

    Re: Understanding a Wolf Blitzer

    Or Wolfman Jack in the 70s.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. icon
    Wyrm (profile), 12 Nov 2016 @ 8:24pm

    Re: Emotional blather based on lies

    Yes, lies don't work anymore. /s

    Tell me that again after seeing how Trump works as president in a few months... Or check right now who's left after he "drains the swamp".

    Also, fear doesn't work anymore, says you who (apparently) supports a guy who did get elected on messages of fear, hate and division.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2016 @ 7:55am

    Re: Re: Odd

    Obviously it means Masnick is a shill for Clinton... up until he writes an article criticizing Clinton. But until then and after that, he's obviously a shill for Clinton! /sarc

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2016 @ 8:51am

    The video talks about having a real conversation over what happened. But CNN is not really interested in having a real conversation.

    CNN won't have a real conversation about how Obama promised transparency and failed. He invited industry interests to negotiate trade agreements in secret while leaving the entire public out of the discussion. He went after whistle blowers.

    They don't want to have a real discussion about how Hillary will also cater to industry interests because she is also bought and paid for just like Obama. She was in favor of TPP because she was catering to industry interests and only temporarily suspended her favoritism for it to get votes because she knew, even before running for president, that the people don't want this agreement. But everyone knows that as soon as she gets elected she will either 'fix' TPP, but not really fix it, or she will push for similar legislation intended to cater to industry interests.

    If CNN really wants to have a real conversation about this why don't they put Mike Masnick on their show and let him have a real conversation about this. A real conversation about how our existing copy'right' laws have been bought and paid for by industry interests and are not what the people want. A real conversation about how a few corporations have managed to use government to monopolize broadcasting spectra and cableco/broadband distribution. Lets have that real conversation CNN. You won't because you are exactly part of the problem. You benefit from these corporate bought laws that Hillary was expected to help you push.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2016 @ 8:54am

    Re: Odd

    Nobody tells you what to say or how to say it. If they do you tell them to get lost. So now that you want to tell everyone else what they should be talking about they're telling you the same thing, lol. A taste of your own medicine I suppose.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2016 @ 9:56am

    Re:

    Notice how everyone was holding up anti-TPP signs and the media hardly even mentioned the TPP. They don't want to actually discuss the issues. They didn't want to actually discuss what was wrong with TPP and why the people were so against it (ie: it was being secretly negotiated with industry interests invited and it was intended to cater to them with no regard for the will of the people. People are sick and tired of extending and expanding our already overreaching IP laws).

    The media has no interest in actually discussing the issues because they are exactly part of the problem.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2016 @ 7:27pm

    Re: Odd

    Normally, I'm in complete agreement with what Masnick has to say.

    This is not one of those times.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. icon
    Seegras (profile), 14 Nov 2016 @ 3:22am

    Re: Re: Left did not lose ... anti-establishment won

    > ...to see the left actually is losing.

    The left isn't even in the picture. The right wing of the democrats booted them out, and now the democrats are loosing as well.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2016 @ 6:59am

    Re: Odd

    It's too soon, Mike. People can't separate the copyright issue from the elections issues at the moment. You shouldn't have included a link to watch the video. That might be part of the "problem" with the "unrelated" comments.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2016 @ 7:04am

    Re: Re: Re: Emotional blather based on lies

    I saw plenty of Trump ads that attacked Clinton directly. If you think only one candidate was throwing mud, you weren't paying attention.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2016 @ 7:07am

    Re: Left did not lose ... anti-establishment won

    People keep saying Trump is anti-establishment, but look at his inner circle. They're establishment figures. His rumored Fed chairman favorite is the epitome of a Wall Street banker. He's picked Reince Priebus, the chair of the bleeding RNC, as his chief of staff.

    His circus act is just enough to keep everyone distracted. He's not an outsider at all, he's a bloody real estate billionaire. He just comes from the corporate side of the establishment, not the government side.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2016 @ 10:32am

    Re: Re: Odd

    No kidding, I used to visit this site daily years ago for its fine writing on pertinent topics specifically a favorite of mine and mikes, copyright law (censorship imo). But over the last few years it went down to weekly, then monthly, now its whenever I can stand the implicit bashing innuendo.

    Mike, how are you falling into CNN like practice of bashing your commenters (FANS) for commenting on your piece, in ways you don't like (IYO off topic) when your writing is obviously to blame when you can't even write one story without the implicit bash of DJT (no one cares if you don't like him, we care about the opinions on the subjects WE COME HERE FOR).

    So sad that I might have to finally ditch this site and label it a rag like so many others. Please stop so I don't have to.

    (Anon for years)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. identicon
    Wendy Cockcroft, 15 Nov 2016 @ 2:31am

    Re: Re: Emotional blather based on lies

    @ Not an Electronic Rodent

    [Sad but True]

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    Wendy Cockcroft (profile), 15 Nov 2016 @ 2:33am

    Re: Re: Re: Van Jones is acting like a whiney little bitch

    Good one, though it's a fair bet the AC was being sarcastic.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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