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CNN Doesn't Like Being Spoofed

Posted by timothy on from the littered-with-what-now dept.

scrm writes "After being online for only a week, the Fake CNN News Generator, a spoof of the CNN.com website, has been shut down after CNN sent them a threatening legal letter alleging copyright and trademark infringement. (Although the real reason is more likely to be because people were actually believing that the fake stories were true.)"

6 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Pop ups. by wzm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I realize that this will get lots of "Use Moz!" type comments, but I'm at work right now, so it isn't a possibility. Spo0fed.com unleashed a slew of pop-ups on me, and a number of them attempted to install some sort of software. Slashdot seems to be fairly united in its hatred of pop ups, so why support them by linking to sites that use them in such an aggressive manner? I feel that its just as annoying as registration required sites, and should be avoided in the same way.

    I suppose I may just be on a system thats already been hit with spyware, and if thats the case, please mod this down into oblivion.

  2. You can see how this works... by missing000 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    here

  3. Fake CNN article about Olsen Twins hits local news by briglass · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A fake CNN new article, generated with said news generator, featured a story claiming that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (the infamous twins who began their carreer starring on Full House as an single, individual girl) had decided to attend Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The story spread like wildfire on the campus, and around Springfield.

    **The rumor was so widespread (thanks to the genuinity of the fake CNN news generator) that the story actually hit local news that night!**

    I tried to stomp out the rumor in it's infancy explaining to everyone that sent it to me that it was fake, but to no avail.

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    "Those who quote others are more likely to one day be quoted" -Tom Planter
  4. Re:Pussies! by ninjadroid · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well, aparently YOU didn't visit their website. When /. was threatened by the Church of Scientology because of DMCA infringement, CmdrTaco posted a large story detailing why they didn't like the fact that they had to give in, but were doing it anyway. In this case, not only did they give in, but they consented that they deserved to be shutdown, and offered to provide whatever information they had on users who had posted false information.

    That is why they are pussies; not because they realized the practical infeasibility of a court battle, but because they so completely gave up. You, on the other hand, are an Anonymous Dumbass.

  5. In that case Chaser non-stop news network by AShocka · · Score: 2, Interesting

    CNNNN had better watch out, they'll be next. It's a spoof on ABCTV in Oz.

  6. Re:infringement - sad times are these by phriedom · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What if this template isn't used for parody? What if it is used to create a believable bogus story that get forwarded around and reprinted in a local newspaper? When people find out it is bogus, don't you think some of them will think CNN screwed up? This isn't theoretical, it happened. So doesn't this unauthorized use of the CNN trademark hurt CNN's reputation? That shouldn't be allowed. Even if CNN is only 3 letters and their reporting sucks they still deserve the same protection of the law that we all enjoy.

    "Why cant Ted Turner just call the webmaster and say, Hey, can you cut the shit? Mano a mano?"

    So you just hate lawyers. Okay, go ahead, but it still doesn't make sense to say it would be fine if Ted Turner wrote a letter himself instead of having someone do it for him. And at this point, all CNN has done is write a letter, despite the article's claim that CNN "shut them down."

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    Don't moderate flamebait as Troll. Know the difference or you will be Meta-moderated.