Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

A Distorted Mirror: Automatic, Real-Time Web Parodies

Posted by timothy on from the achieving-parody dept.

Citing the DMCA, the World Trade Organization complained to Verio, the upstream provider of parody site gatt.org, a site we've mentioned before which jabs at the aims and methods of GATT and the WTO. Verio notified domain holder Jonathan Prince of the complaint, and asked Prince to remove any copyrighted materials from the site. The site appears intact for now, but read on to learn about the interesting software the complaint has spawned -- perhaps this isn't what the WTO had in mind.

As Andrew Bichlbaum writes: "The WTO could well have stepped on a hornets' nest. To counter the attack, Gatt.org managers The Yes Men have released a piece of open-source 'parodyware' that will 'forever make this kind of censorship obsolete. ... Using this software, it takes five minutes to set up a convincing, personalized, evolving parody of the WTO.org website, or any other website of your choice ... All you need is a place to put it -- say, WTOO.org, WorldTradeOrg.com, whatever.'"

7 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot is by lavaforge · · Score: 4, Funny

    The WTO's greatest defense. No one will ever see the offending pages at this rate...

  2. Only by modraken · · Score: 1, Funny
    Apple was able to sue over "look and feel",


    Only a whore charges for a look and a feel.

    --
    ____ Huh? I missed that.
  3. Roll-your-own "Parody" site here... by Robber+Baron · · Score: 3, Funny

    I like this one better!

    --

    You're using her as bait, Master!

  4. Re:What does this have to do with My Rights?? by Mojojojo+Monkey+Inc. · · Score: 2, Funny

    If a corporation wants to take down trademarked material, they simply submit the site to slashdot, and it's gone 5 minutes later.

  5. Re:Reminds me of the Dialectizer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Try this version of slashdot!

    And this is different from normal SlashDot HOW???

    woof.

  6. TROLL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That message above was a TROLL. Nader won the last election with 88% of the vote. The IWW has had control of the US Congress for the last 75 years. The US tax rate has topped 93% and there are mass demonistrations to increase taxes. Every time the WTO meets, there are tens of millions of protesters on the site and all commerce shuts down worldwide. It just isn't possible that anyone at all could object to the well reasoned progressive views of the anti-GATT protesters, which are held by the vast majority of all people.

  7. Re:Huh? by -Harlequin- · · Score: 2, Funny

    English is not your first language, then?

    He's probably American :-)

    --- ---

    (The differently-humoured please note: That was a JOKE people, no need to take it personally or flame off about it. As it happens, I also live in the USA. And I feel somewhat depressed that I should feel like I should probably write this kind of disclaimer on /. :-)