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Yoko Ono/EMI Suit Exposes Fair Use Flaw

Posted by samzenpus on from the I-hope-someday-you'll-sue-us dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Yoko Ono and EMI Records have backed down from their suit against the makers of a documentary film who used a 15-second fragment of a John Lennon song — but only after a Stanford Law School group got involved. Even though the use of the clip was clearly Fair Use, the case exposed a huge problem with the doctrine: It's becoming too expensive for people to actually take advantage of what is supposed to be a guaranteed right. Ironically, the song in question was Imagine."

8 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What's yellow and lives off dead beatles? by eeyore · · Score: 3, Funny

    Tsk, tsk it's an insectivorous submarine!

  2. Re:Imagine by HBI · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hypocrisy only counts if the media calls you on it.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  3. She's right by 4D6963 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hate to admit it, but she's right. Everybody knows that such types of fair-use are what make record sales plummet. Why buy John Lennon's record when you've got a 15-second fragment of one of his song in a documentary that you can just reply as many times as you like?

    That's right, you don't, which is why so many baby seal-killing pirates are now resorting to listening to documentary soundtracks just to avoid buying discs just so they can avoid giving $2 of royalties to starving artists like John Lennon. God I hate these bastards.

    --
    You just got troll'd!
  4. On Second Thought by bugeaterr · · Score: 2, Funny

    You can not be my Yoko Ono.

  5. Re:So sue to recover the losses by aproposofwhat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lets face it ID's never going to get a fair shake from Darwinoids. Guess it's time to revisit Allan Bloom's, The Closing of the American Mind.

    I'll give ID a fair shake - it's complete and utter bullshit, based on a bronze age mythology that has no place in rational discourse.

    That enough for you?

    If not, I'm perfectly willing to shake it some more, but I can't ever see any truth coming out of it...

    --
    One swallow does not a fellatrix make
  6. Re:So sue to recover the losses by Gizzmonic · · Score: 2, Funny

    No wait, one day James Blunt may stop in on a tour and catch you humming "Beautiful" and slap you with a lawsuit for posting a Youtube of you singing it to your girlfriend.

    I can guarantee you that will never happen. "Never Gonna Give You Up," sure. I'd rather dry-shave my balls with a dull razor than listen to James Blunt.

    Also, I don't bundle the fries anymore, I got promoted to manager. That's why I can post to Slashdot all day without worry. Plus, I get all the Hi-C Orange I can drink without paying a cent! And since the financial crisis is on, more and more people are eating at McDonald's. I don't have to worry about job security. Suck on that one, bro! Anyway, I'm off to smoke dope in the walk-in with my counter guy Jesus. He always has the best shit. Enjoy your layoff!

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
  7. Re:So sue to recover the losses by KGIII · · Score: 2, Funny

    The freedom of religion is child abuse???

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  8. Re:Not your decision by DAldredge · · Score: 2, Funny

    So should I make my software bug ridden so I can sell support?