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Discovery Threatens Fan Site It Also Promotes

Posted by Soulskill on from the in-the-case-of-right-hand-v.-left-hand dept.

An anonymous reader writes "It seems the lawyers and the marketing people at The Discovery Channel don't talk to each other much. The marketing people behind the show 'The Deadliest Catch' have been supporting a fan community called DeadliestCatchTV.com for a while now. They've regularly sent the site info, free clips, previews and information about the show. On top of that, they link to it from the official site, including it in a list of 'fan sites' as a part of the 'Discovery Network,' and even will frame the site with the show's own dashboard for those who click through. Discovery's lawyers, on the other hand, have threatened to sue the site out of existence and have demanded that the owner hand over the domain name — which he is going to do, because he doesn't have the money to fight this. While there may be a trademark issue (which could be easily resolved with a free license), the lawyers are also making the ridiculous argument that posting the videos Discovery sent him to post are copyright infringement. They're also claiming that embedding the official Discovery Channel YouTube videos (which have embedding turned on) is copyright infringement. This is exactly how you turn lots of fans into people who hate your entire channel."

8 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Before handing over the domain by gilesjuk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't he just fill the site with porn and get the site blocked by most internet nanny software?

    1. Re:Before handing over the domain by sjames · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why not, catching crabs is catching crabs...

  2. This is just early promo by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Relax folks, this is all just promotional groundwork for Discovery Channel's next big reality TV show, in which a few thousand lawyers will be released onto a remote, arctic island with no survival gear beyond an iPhone, some designer shoes, and a briefcase full of legal documents and moist towelettes.

    The project has tentatively been titled "If you live, you get to sue our asses for putting you there."

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    1. Re:This is just early promo by wile_e8 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Q: What do you call a few thousand lawyers on a remote, arctic island?

      A: A good start

  3. Re:That show has went downhill anyway by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 5, Funny

    Duh.

    What else do you do during Shark Week.

    --
    Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  4. Re:That show has went downhill anyway by dkh2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ROFL. The dyslexic part of my brain took over for a second there and I read that as

    The novelization of the Deadliest Crotch?

    --
    My office has been taken over by iPod people.
  5. Re:2 jokes come to mind... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    IMHO, they are all just acting crabby.

  6. Re:That show has went downhill anyway by Miseph · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It's like any other reality show, just on a boat."

    Dear T-Pain,
              You'd be a perfect addition to our show. We think the kids would just love it. Let us know what you think.
    XOXO,
              The Discovery Channel

    P.S.
    Are you friends with Xzibit? Because we've got a show about trucks that he could really revamp...

    --
    Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.