Beware when using and misusing copyrighted material.

[Gerry]

We know it is illegal yet many do it for the sake of getting content on a site.

Before thinking on whether to use someone else's copyrighted content, think twice or you many pay.

Righthaven Expands Troll Operation With Newspaper Giant

* By David Kravets Email Author
* December 7, 2010 |
* 4:36 pm |
* Categories: Copyrights and Patents, intellectual property
*

Copyright troll Righthaven, which sues blogs and websites for posting newspaper content without permission, is making good on its promise to expand its reach, and is now working on behalf of the nation’s second-biggest news chain.

Las Vegas–based Righthaven was formed this spring for the sole purpose of acquiring copyrights and suing to financially benefit from allegedly misappropriated intellectual property. It has filed more than 180 suits on behalf of Stephens Media’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, and has now begun suing on behalf of Denver-based MediaNews Group, which owns the San Jose Mercury News, the Denver Post and about two dozen other outlets.

Read More...

 

[Biggie]

to sue is one thing, to win is another

 

[domainsain]

That's why Doc Com is smart enough to use me as a writer

 

[Gerry]

to sue is one thing, to win is another

If you have a successful blog and allegations are being leveled that you have violated copyright laws by plagerizing, that can be enough to lose readership and sponsorship.

So, in my eyes, they have won.

 

[Biggie]

That's why Doc Com is smart enough to use me as a writer

i haven't used you yet, so save some chapstick

 

[domainsain]

i haven't used you yet, so save some chapstick

, Will do mate

 

[Gerry]

Beware: This is Real!

When I first started this post, I had mentioned that just getting caught up in this "trolling" could be headaches aplenty.

Notice that this service goes to federal court in a "screw you, wipo" move.

The thought have having to fight allegations in a federal court (because of federal copyright violations) is troubling. And, this could provide a precedence for companies to protect its assets and brand.

Circumventing WIPO and URDP may become the norm and also signal an end to those practices.

Copyright Troll Demands Drudge Report Domain Name

One of the litigation scare tactics employed by copyright troll Righthaven is it routinely demands allegedly infringing sites to forfeit their domain names.

But in private, civil copyright litigation, there is no legal basis for such a demand, even if an allegedly infringing website is ultimately found liable for breaching copyright law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation maintains the tactic is a method to coerce settlements from rank-and-file websites that cannot afford to defend themselves from the newspaper-lawsuit factory that is Righthaven.

To be sure, Las Vegas-based Righthaven’s latest target is no unknown site like most of Righthaven’s targets. It’s the Drudge Report, which is accused of carrying a Denver Post photo of a TSA agent searching an air traveler last month.

Righthaven’s lawsuit comes nearly a month after the Denver Post published a “notice to readers” that it was a breach of copyright law to re-publish its photographs without permission.

Founded this spring, Righthaven sues on behalf of Stephens Media and, as of days ago, MediaNews Group. Righthaven has demanded a federal judge in each of its 180-plus cases to order its targets to hand over their domains. About 70 of its cases have settled out of court, and their terms are confidential.

One of Righthaven’s latest cases, lodged Wednesday on behalf of MediaNews, demands a Nevada federal judge to “direct Network Solutions, and any successor domain name registrar for the Drudge Report domain, to lock the Drudge Report domain and transfer control of the Drudge Report domain to Righthaven.” (.pdf) The suit also demands the judge order the same for drudgereportarchives.com, the archival site of drudgereport.com.

Matt Drudge, who is personally named in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond for comment. Steve Gibson, Righthaven’s chief executive, said in a Tuesday telephone interview that Righthaven would soon begin lodging lawsuits on behalf of other, yet-to-named media outlets.

 

[416member]

Just out of curiousity, it is obvious that disney-clipart dot com and pixarcars dot net are violating Disney copyrights. So why Disney haven't filed DMCA complaint?

I want to build a Lightning Mcqueen personal fan site for my two boys but is concern about these whole copyright thing.

Thanks

 

[Gerry]

Just out of curiousity, it is obvious that disney-clipart dot com and pixarcars dot net are violating Disney copyrights. So why Disney haven't filed DMCA complaint?

Perhaps that is just two of tens of thousands of sites violating Disney/Pixar TM's. Just because a site has not been taken down is not a sign of failure. Could be a sign of just not getting to them...yet.

 

[John Baron]

I want to build a Lightning Mcqueen personal fan site for my two boys but is concern about these whole copyright thing.

Thanks

i have a felling this copyright thing wont effect small fish like us ..

 

[katherine]

Got this from EFF:

Victory! Court Declares Righthaven Copyright Troll Lawsuit a Sham

 

[Gerry]

Got this from EFF:

Victory! Court Declares Righthaven Copyright Troll Lawsuit a Sham

Its a victory. But one court, one district.

Hopefully other courts will follow suit.

---------- Post added at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:48 PM ----------

i have a felling this copyright thing wont effect small fish like us ..

Not so. A young kid in my area was nailed for using a copyrighted photo. I think he was like 13 or 14 years old. He used a photo from another site over a TSA pat down. The photo was encoded with that group in Denver who is doing all this suing.

I am not sure of the outcome and will have to see if I can find an update.

Essentially, this company's legal team sends a notice along with a declaration that they will settle out of court for $6,000.00.

So, yes...the small fish are being scooped up in the net.

 

[JuniperPark]

This is excellent news. I've caught a few sites stealing my photos and using them commercially, sometimes removing my watermark and sometimes not. I've even had these morons tell me "There is nothing you can do because anything posted on the internet is public domain", which is untrue of course.

Glad to see I others are going after the thieves as well.