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IOC Clamps Down on Athlete Web Diaries
RSevrinsky writes "According to this article in the NYTimes, the non-profit IOC is scared stiff of losing its place as sole mouthpiece for the Games (which helped it get $705M from NBC for the TV rights). Now, even the athletes don't have the right to describe their own experiences for the outside world -- only Bob Costas can. " The IOC has never exactly been "nice" (actually, I would describe them more accurately as "Evil") but this is pretty dang stupid.
IOC To Olympic Athletes: Online Diaries Verboten
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
You think that making a copy of copyrighted material is breaking the law? Well shoot, you'd better shut down your browser right now, or I'll sue your ass. These comments are copyright by me, and your browser just copied them.
Of course that's nonsense, because I implicitly gave you the rights to make a copy of this article and read it when I posted it. But when I buy a DVD, I implicitly (should?) have the right to make a copy of it and view it too. That's what deCSS does. So why should it be illegal?
Another example: DeCSS cannot be illegal just because it could be used to copy a DVD. If that was true, photocopiers would be illegal, because they could be used to copy books.
Enough of this nonsense.
The RIAA, the MPAA, the IOC, and other oppressive organizations are attempting to take away freedom of speech and fair-use rights. Copyright was originally limited, they are trying to make it unlimited through legal and technological means.
These organizations want to create a world where you could be charged for everything you see, hear, and experience - every time. A world where you own nothing and rent everything. An attitude like that tends to polarise people, and push them in the other direction. Despite that, I don't think Slashdot (in general) is becoming anti-IP, although some posters may be.
But most posters here have a greater respect and understanding for the limitations of copyright. I think the original version of the copyright act was, on balance, a good thing.
I think the only "anti-IP" on Slashdot is an "anti-expansion-of-IP". At least, that's the only anti-IP I have.
Torrey Hoffman (Azog)
Torrey Hoffman (Azog)
"HTML needs a rant tag" - Alan Cox
I highly recommend the Canadian coverage. Yes, it's live, which is a big plus if there are some events you are really into, or if you're just a fanatic (like my wife).
The real difference is the substance of the coverage. On NBC, you get Oprah/ER type bleeding heart stories about the athletes; interviews with families, coaches, teachers, etc. That's all well and good if you want to sit and get all teary eyed, but if you are actually interested in the sporting events, NBC is awful.
CBC covers the events, and you get fairly decent analysis of them. The commentators (especially track) really know their stuff and explain the nuances of unfamiliar sports quite well. There is the occasional backgrounder on an athlete, but the event itself is the focus.
The other great thing is that they are fairly neutral, at least vis a vis NBC. They'll interview a non-Canadian who wins an event, they'll discuss non-Canadian favourites. NBC is only interested in the American, and only if they have a chance of winning.
Hoorah for CBC. I hope that the US cable providers near the border keep them on their lineup.
Especially since, in general, the ratings for the Olympic broadcasts have been getting steadily worse for the past two decades. It's quite possible that NBC will not make ANY money off of the Olympic broadcasts this time around. Add to the sheer level of botching they've had with the release of information and the display of the events, and you can see why this is not looking good for their shareholders this time.
Unfortunately, the diaries of the Olympians are just the sort of thing that would bring a lot of interest to the Games. Knowing what some of them were thinking, doing, planning... who in the competition they really thought were tough and who they didn't think were actual competition.
The IOC has, more and more, lost the concept of the fact that the Games are not just national spectacle, but also tales of achievement, and they're cutting off one of the really great ways to show that sort of ethic off.
But this is the same bunch where they fired half of the main committee for bribery a few years back, so I'd bet that the media companies (NBC, et al.) also paid to have a clause in the contract that NO ONE ELSE can have the coverage. With that sort of patronage/corruption in place, the mediots could then dictate that any 'diaries' are violations of that clause, as it takes away from their 'exclusive coverage', as well as taking away from the deep insights of Bob "Jack Handley" Costas.
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Brazil has decided you're cute.
Just to be able to enter competitions (olympics too) you're going to have to sign a declaration that states that you are going to be in full compliance with the rules and regulations involved. In my sport these mandate you to take part in the interviews and other post-competition activities(medal ceremony, etc..) involved provided you do sufficiently well.
If you don't you might lose your some or all of your price money and definetly get a really bad name for yourself. You might even get banned from entering competitions in future. I can't think of a single athlete who has worked hard and then would just throw it all away because their diaries can't be published.
In order for this to work people doing it would have to be really really famous and those people have the most to lose. All corporate sponsorships etc. The lesser known medaling athletes would be just more than happy to have accomplished what they did and would not jeopardize anything(future corporate sponsorships).
When CBC was showing coverage of the Canadian men in the beach volleyball quarterfinals, the women's marathon was being run. CBC did some switching back and forth, and some split-screens, but what really impressed me was that Brian Williams (a CBC commentator) actually said (when they were switching back to volleyball) that anyone who wanted to watch the marathon could see it live on TSN (Canada's ESPN). Phenomenal.
There have also been reports on how many American's near the border and with satalite have actually been watching CBC coverage because they are showing events live (even at 5am), while NBC is always a day behind.
Well, if the athletes feel strongly about this, they should get together and agree not to participate in any interviews at all. I'll bet that if a few gold medal winners, when presented with a camera and microphone, were to tell the reporter that as a protest against being prohibited from publishing their diary, they were declining to give any interviews at all, I bet that the IOC would get the message pretty quickly.
"It's very simple," said an IOC spokeswoman. "The IOC has an obligation to fulfill the terms of its contracts. And when these spectators -- or 'coverage pirates' as we like to call them -- go home and talk to people about what they saw at the Games that day, they are providing unlicensed coverage -- coverage that should be coming exclusively from NBC. It's up to us to stop this."
She denied that the ban was overly fascistic. "Actually, we will be erecting giant television screens outside the Olympic Stadium, where people can watch licensed NBC coverage of the events inside. What more could people want?"
Free Software Foundation guru Richard M. Stallman could not be reached for comment. A source close to the programmer said he was "busy watching the 400 metre butterfly."
Carousel is a lie!
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