NFL, MLB Accused of Bogus Copyright Claims

P Crewe writes "A complaint filed by the Computer & Communications Industry Association accuses the NFL, MLB, and a number of studios of deceptive trade practices, saying that their far-reaching copyright claims systematically misrepresent the rights of consumers to use copyrighted material. 'According to the complaint, such warnings "materially misrepresent" US law. Fair use is given short shrift, and as a result, consumers are left with the impression that any use that the rights-holders do not expressly approve is illegal. "Consumers have the right to use the content in legal, non-infringing ways," CCIA spokesperson Jake Ward told Ars Technica. "Putting these warnings on broadcasts, videotapes, and DVDs is both misleading and threatening."'"

Comments

Obligatory Youtube Video

[dknj]

Disney teaches Copyright

dk-

Re:Obligatory Youtube Video

[TheRealMindChild]

While this little clip attempts to prove a point, actually watching it is akin to being tied to the back of a bulldozer as it drives 50 miles down an unpaved road.

About time!

[wnissen]

MLB even tries to tell you that descriptions of the game are under their copyright, the lying needs to stop.

Re:About time!

[jguthrie]

But their "descriptions and accounts of the game" are protected by copyright. If you went to a game and described the game, your description would also be protected by copyright, but the copyright on your description wouldn't belong to MLB.

Re:The complaint is with FTC

[Anonymous Cowpat]

so instead someone has to take the risk of:

• Ignoring the notice
• Being taken to court
• Losing by default when they run out of money
• And getting massive damages because they were warned on the disc/tape and chose to ignore the warnings
• Being bankrupt for the rest of their life

? Because if that's what the law says then the law needs to change.

Seems to me...

[Raccroc]

It has always seemed to me that the root of such behavior is that they are allowed to continue to operate as monopolies.

Because there is no competition to professional football it allows the NFL to become bullies and make outrageous demands. Not just with TM and copy write, but with players/coaches contracts, advertisers/sponsors, broadcast providers, etc. I just don't get is how they can continue not getting thumped for anti-competitive practices. Hell, it constantly amazes me one of the extremely rich players who gets suspended doesn't ever raise a stink about it...After all, it's not like he can get a job playing for someone else.

(MLB is a congressionally protected monopoly, at least from my understanding.)

Re:The complaint is with FTC

[xZoomerZx]

Most people don't know enough about the law or fair use to say...

And that is what is wrong with the American justice system today. This country was founded on the idea that a (truly) free people would require few laws and would therefore be knowledgeable of the laws in their entirety. (Since they were to be self-governing) Unfortunately, a long time ago politicians, the vast majority being lawyers themselves, realized that more laws would benefit them and their lawyer brethren.
Doubt me? How many pages alone is the federal tax code again? (it's 13,458 pages in total)
The only real solution to these shenanigans is a re-vamp of the entire legal system top to bottom. But I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you.

Re:Disregard all FUD

[markbt73]

"The American media should be more than aware of the fables like Chicken Little, and Crying Wolf."

We're aware of them, but Disney copyrighted them, so we have to wait for a special edition re-release of the DVD to actually see the stories.