The Electronic Frontier Foundation today has aimed a demonstrably potent weapon -- the spotlight of public shame -- at those corporations and individuals who abuse copyright claims to stifle free speech.
From an EFF press release:
"Free speech in the 21st century often depends on incorporating video clips and other content from various sources," explained EFF Senior Staff Attorney and Kahle Promise Fellow Corynne McSherry. "It's what The Daily Show with Jon Stewart does every night. This is 'fair use' of copyrighted or trademarked material and protected under U.S. law. But that hasn't stopped thin-skinned corporations and others from abusing the legal system to get these new works removed from the Internet. We wanted to document this censorship for all to see."
EFF's Takedown Hall of Shame at www.eff.org/takedowns focuses on the most egregious examples of takedown abuse, including an example of a YouTube video National Public Radio tried to remove just this week that criticizes same-sex marriage. Other Hall of Shame honorees include NBC for requesting removal of an Obama campaign video and CBS for targeting a McCain campaign video in the critical months before the 2008 election. The Hall of Shame will be updated regularly, as bad takedowns continue to squash free speech rights of artists, critics, and commentators big and small.
(2009's 25 Geekiest 25th Anniversaries)
Other hall inductees include: radio blowhard Michael Savage; election bungler Diebold, Inc.; endlessly discredited "paranormalist" Uri Geller; and even the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which apparently has donned a black hat on such matters.
The Hall of Shame is part of EFF's "No Down Time for Free Speech" campaign.
The EFF has been exceptionally active of late when it comes to launching Web sites that focus on specific issues; for example: TOSBack, which tracks changes in Web site terms of service so that you don't have to; Surveillance Self-Defense, which offers advice on keeping prying eyes off of your electronic information; and, of course, its longstanding and highly effective Patent Busting Project.
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The Leader in Network Knowledge
Savage
Are you farking kidding me?! The Electronic Frontier Foundation has very obviously left out "Hippie" (and) "Liberal" from it's title.
Dr. Savage, an American citizen (which if you are predisposed against him, I hope will make you at least identify with him as a fellow countryman), is BANNED from entering BRITAIN of all places on account of his free speech being possibly inflammatory to someone. Shocking? Britain, our civilized ally and champion of democracy and free speech?
Dig a little deeper, and you'll learn that the chief propoent of this BLACKLIST, the disgraceful, EX-British Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith was hard pressed to find a conservative to balance out HER OWN arbitrary "shaming" banned-list of Islamic murderers, Russian skinheads, baby murderers, etc., completely a non sequitur that Savage appears on the list! This was p.c. pressure at its most shameless and most ironic! Haven't the history books and public schools all suggested that McCarthyism and blacklisting is bad?
Conservative outlets are not even acknowledging this outrage. That irony alone trumps any defensive actions Savage has taken against CAIR, which as an organization, directed a campaign to alienate Savage's advertisers with the vile and logically devoid tactic of "The Race Card." Sad how the race card scandalizes and automatically nullifies any opposing argument that can be made, kind of like when a stripper walks into Duke, points at an innocent man, and cries "Rape."
CAIR is a group of radical Muslim sympathisers, Savage is one of the few brave enough to decry them and their links to those that would threaten the safety and security of the U.S.
Add several to the list. From an article from the Investigative Project on Terrorism:
"Three United States Senators have written to FBI Director Robert Mueller praising a decision last year to cut off contacts with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and inquiring about other groups linked to a Hamas-support network in the U.S."
"Republicans Jon Kyl of Arizona, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and New York Democrat Charles Schumer signed the letter dated Tuesday, which asked Mueller for additional information about the decision."
"The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) broke the news last month that concerns over CAIR's roots in a Hamas-support network prompted FBI leadership to cut off contact with the advocacy group last summer."
So the EFF, by seeking to shame entities becomes yet another source of white noise, advancing half of the truth, and accomplishes little.
Savage
I think this comment should be BANNED! (or not). It really depends on what other people think I should do.
I'm impressed.
It's so cute how you took that huge WARRGARBL about ... let's see ... British immigration policies, racial politics, religious bigotry, and cultural bigotry, and you sandwiched it between two sentences that, while vaguely related to the article, had no content other than ad hominem attacks against the EFF.
You could almost be Savage.
i dont think the EFF put him
i dont think the EFF put him on the list because of the UK thing or because of his show. they put him on the list because they think his use of copyright law goes beyond what they think is reasonable. it has nothing to do with him being liberal or conservative.
calm down buddy and remove your face from the sprinkler.
Please calm down! The froth is spewing out your mouth so fast that nobody can hear you scream, "wharrbrgbll!".
Savage is on the list because he opposes free speech. He asked people to remove content from the Internet because he didn't like the content.
Whether or not Savage is also a "victim" because other countries don't want to let racist bile into their country, is a totally seperate issue that has nothing to do with this article which examines how people abuse copyright law to stifle their opponenets. I don't believe that even Savage accuses his enemies of abusing copyright law to marginalize or remove his speech from the public spotlight.
Off topic much?
Please calm down.
Savage
Why is he even worried about what goes on in Britain. It's their country, their laws, worry about what goes on in America. They are entitled to ban who they see fit.
cowboys
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association?! What, did some flamers get mad that they were discouraged from making out during the halftime show at a bullriding event?
DBA, come down off that ledge, and take off that tin hat.
Kudos to the EFF for spotlighting the importance of fair use in the 21st century. I'm not sure DBA completely understood this article, but they did do a very nice job of summing up the type of argumentation one encounters on Michael Savage's program.
Know Your Rights
In what I'm about to say, I don't intend to downplay what these corporations are doing. Each one probably deserve every bit of bad press they get. But, before you get all worked up about someone 'violating your right to freedom of speech,' make sure you understand that the First Amendment only applies to what the government can or cannot do. This does not apply to individuals or corporations.
For reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
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