July 15, 2012

Fair Use Abuse

Aufderheide's essay on Fair Use does not mention the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. (Patricia Aufderheide, "Copywrong," CJR, July/August 2012, Page 36) DMCA summary here
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

The Berkman Center has an extensive discussion
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2007/04/seltzer

of how it works, and why it is flawed. There were no users at the conferences when the law was written, somewhat like Obamacare. It has a three-pronged test. But it is easy for providers to abuse it's intent. YouTube e.g., only requires a complaint of a violation by "the copyright holder." They do not verify that the complaint is actually from him or her. One Boston cop filed numerous complaints about my legal postings, pretending to be the "copyright holder," and caused me a lot of trouble until he was arrested. The automatic takedown can be undone by filing a defense claim i.e., that Fair Use or other notion permits use. The alleged copyright holder has ten days to file a lawsuit. If not the item goes back up automatically.

One problem with many providers is that they are clueless about the notion of Fair Use. One author of a video editing book supported by Apple Computers has comments barred from Apple Discussions about Fair Use, due to ignorance. He is an expert on the video program but is clueless about the law. At one Cable Access TV station (Cambridge MA) the entire management was clueless about Fair Use and warned everyone about using any part of another's audio or video. Wouldn't it be helpful if at least the management understood the laws protecting expression? Aufderheide's essay shows Fair Use law is extended beyond the legal limits in good and bad ways.


http://www.cjr.org/feature/copywrong.php

Feature — July / August 2012
Copywrong
How well do you know fair use?
Columbia Journalism Review
By Patricia Aufderheide

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