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Electronic Frontier Foundation Sues Uri Geller
reversible physicist writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation has sued spoon-bender Uri Geller for using 'baseless copyright claims' to silence critics who question his paranormal powers. Brian Sapient posted on YouTube a 14-minute excerpt from the 1993 PBS NOVA program 'Secrets of the Psychics,' in which skeptic James Randi says Geller's spoon-bending feats were simple tricks. YouTube took down the video after Geller complained — his lawyers claim that 10 seconds of the video are owned by Geller. A shorter excerpt of the video is still up on YouTube."
There is no spoon!
He thought he could bend copyright laws too!
Theres a bit more on this on http://www.badpsychics.co.uk/ and its forums. Well worth a read IMHO!
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During these 10 seconds he placed the spoon in a clamp and started hammering at it vigorously?
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This is an excellent illustration of how people can abuse things like copyrights to attempt to prop up their own dubious practices.
Clearly Uri Geller has no "psychic" abilities whatsoever and yet he has built his career on claims that he does and this is how he earns his money. Rather than offering scientifically measured demonstrations of his "powers" he attempts instead to simply keep his critics silent. Obviously this is totally reprehensible behaviour which shares some similarity with the behaviour of record companies whoes original purpose is rapidly diminishing and are also using copyright laws to prop themselves up.
I don't think the answer is necessarily changing the laws of copyright ( except correcting the ludicrous length of time protection can be claimed ) but making sure that people claiming it's protection are doing so properly. It would appear in this case there are no copyright violations since Mr Gellers material is only be critised and excerpted which is perfectly legal. Instead I advocate the slaughter of anyone, individuals or entire companies who attempt to abuse copyright laws in this manner. This should send a strong message that the public do want their rights trampled on and will not let individual members suffer bullying and intimidation for larger individuals or companies.
OK, copyright law is one thing, but frauds like Uri Geller do whatever they can to keep anyone from showing their tricks. He's no more than the tent evangelist that has shills in the audience or people who listen to conversations so the perp can somehow know something personal about their next mark.
Geller is only one step away from the televangelists that want you to lay hands on your TV and feel the power... and then send in your contribution.
I am not a lawyer but 10 seconds for the purpose of criticism is surely fair use?
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Randi has a copy of the full videos on his website
http://www.randi.org/uri/index.html
If it does go to court it will be interesting to see how he travels to defend it.
iirc he is on the US no fly list plus a couple of terrorist watch lists... (something to do with organisational affiliations I think)
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No indeed. He is a great man whom aliens have seen fit to bestow the ultimate of powers - spoon bending. All hail our galactic overlords and their glorious Earth bound representative!
Clearly Uri Geller has no "psychic" abilities whatsoever
I'll thank you not to post baseless, unprovable defamatory statements about Mr. Geller. His 'Orange Dot' (see google) was almost certainly the single most amazing thing ever done in the sphere of psychic activity. Seriously, which is more likely:
Proposition A: Uri Geller does have psychic abilities
Proposition B: A high proportion of the human race, if you print an orange dot in a newspaper and tell them touching it will make their dreams come true, will take it *very seriously indeed*.
I think you'll agree the latter proposition is simply ludicrous. Therefore it behooves anyone who'd consider themselves a free thinker to consider proposition A.
Incidentally, I myself possess something of Mr. Geller's gift. While he is able to energize a large orange dot on high-quality newsprint, I can only perform the lesser feat of energizing a small black dot on the flimsy medium of a cathode ray tube or TFT. I have focused my spirit energy on this dot and it is now fully energized. Empty your mind, gaze on the dot and let the spirit energy fill you and uplift you.
Here is the Dot: .
Reach out. Touch it. Imagine you are floating on a bed of marshmallows(*). Who knows? Your dreams might just come true!
(*)Genuine quote from Uri Geller, used here as "fair use" as I know Mr. Geller would never stoop to abusing copyright law.
Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
He had a T.V Reality show here in the last season, and some of his tricks had been revealed including magnets he had pulled off his head and got caught. He's nothing more than magician.
Uri Geller is a joke on youtube
it should give you a proof or so just search there : Uri Geller.
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!!!
...I'm sure he saw that lawsuit coming. =D
His spoon covered cadillac, however, is laughable.
"Diplomacy is something you do until you find a rock." --Richard Pound
I've always *dreamed* of having a fingerprint on my monitor...
Penn and Teller did a show once where they showed the spoon bending trick, and other tricks that Geller does without mentioning his name. They just said "phonies" use those tricks to show that they're "psychic". They even said that they won't mention his name because he sues everyone. It was plainly obvious that they were targeting Geller since at the time of the show, Geller was suing some mathematician - can't remember his name now..
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
I am a supporter of EFF but having read the compaint, I am (as usual) a little confused. It says that both Geller and his company are based in the UK (paras 4 and 5) and then goes on to say that the court has jurisdiction (para 8). Isn't this going to end up rather like the SpamHaus case but possibly with better management from the UK end?
I can see how the EFF might prevail with relief A (declaratory judgment) and possibly B (injunctive relief) although its not clear what would happen if Geller broke the injunction. Would that be a criminal offence for which he could be extradited? But reliefs C to F all seem to boil down to Geller handing over some money. What is going to happen when the court rules against him and he ignores them?
So far as I can see, YouTube shouldn't have had to accept a DMCA takedown request from outside the USA in the first place. Perhaps they didn't have to? Does the DMCA say anything about this? What's to stop some bored teenager from (for example) China sending dozens of takedown notices every day in the certain knowledge that no-one can stop him?
Uri Geller should get bent