FROM:
WWW.EFF.ORG - WEBSITE OF ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS FOUNDATION- DEFENDING BLOGGERS
ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS FOUNDATION VS. HATE TALK KSFO RADIO VS SPOCKO
Spocko and ABC/KSFO
EFF warned ABC not to pursue its bogus copyright infringement claims against 'Spocko' -- a blogger who sparked nationwide debate over a San Francisco radio station -- and asked the media giant to retract its baseless threats.
The free speech battle began when Spocko posted audio clips of what he deemed to be offensive talk-radio rhetoric from ABC-owned and San Francisco-based KSFO-AM on his blog at www.spockosbrain.com. In response, ABC, Inc. sent a threatening letter to the blogger's hosting company, claiming that copyright law prevented Spocko from posting the clips. The hosting company responded by shutting Spocko's website down, forcing him to move to a different provider. In a letter sent to ABC, Inc. Thursday, EFF warned that further false copyright claims could compel Spocko to take action to protect his free speech rights.
"Copyright law is not designed to silence speech that you dislike," said EFF Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "ABC and KSFO know that their legal threats were absolutely groundless. Their time and efforts are better spent explaining why they think Spocko is wrong, and letting the public decide, instead of resorting to thuggish legal tactics."
Documents and Links
EFF's Letter to ABC on behalf of Spocko [PDF, 460K] January 25, 2007
Deeplinks Blog post: Spocko, KSFO, and the Blogosphere's Allergy to Copyright Thuggery January 12, 2007
ABC cease and desist letter to Spocko's former hosting company [PDF, 19K] December 21, 2006
Spocko's site: Spocko's Brain
News Reports
Martin Kasindorf, Media Outlets Battle It Out Over Free-Speech Rights
USA Today, January 24, 2007
Noam Cohen, Bloggers Take on Talk Radio Hosts
NY Times, January 15, 2007,
Blog Lands KSFO-AM In Hot Water With Advertisers
CBS 5 News, January 9, 2007
Other Resources
EFF's Bloggers' Rights pages
Search eff.org
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