McCain campaign to YouTube: Stop taking down our campaign videos over copyright violations

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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/15/mccain_campaign_wants_youtube_dmca_special_treatment/

McCain begs for YouTube DMCA takedown immunity

DMCA velvet glove treatment

By Austin Modine
Posted in Music and Media, 15th October 2008 00:14 GMT

After having several campaign videos removed from YouTube for alleged copyright violations, Republican presidential candidate John McCain wants the video-sharing web site to consider special takedown privileges for politicians and their ilk.

McCain '08 general counsel Trevor Potter yesterday sent a letter to YouTube execs claiming the site is too quick to remove their campaign videos based on "overreaching copyright claims." He wrote that on numerous occasions that the material in question was "clearly" privileged under the US fair use doctrine.

The letter (available here as a PDF) comes by way of Larry Lessig.

YouTube routinely removes content based on the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown provisions, which grants safe harbor to web sites that promptly remove content if someone alleges it infringes on their copyrights. McCain was among the Senators that voted in favor of the provision in 1998.

(snip)

Warner Music Group, CBS, Fox News, and other media conglomerates have all sent YouTube takedown notices for McCain videos.

The article also states that the Obama campaign have had videos removed as well, but it appears that the McCain campaign is the only one throwing its pacifier out of the stroller over it.

[Solly Mack]

1. lolol

[beac]

2. They should just score all their ads with this

:nopity:

[ixion]

3. yeah, because the DMCA only applies to us little people

pols, being as their above the laws they deign for the rest of us, should be exempt. :sarcasm:

I think the DMCA sucks a**, and would love to see it repealed. It really annoys me, though, to see them asking for special treatment.

[Ian David]

4. Didn't McCain vote FOR The DMCA? n/t

[Chimichurri]

5. See. The whole world is against McCain and it's YouTube's fault

he going to lose.

[MiniMe]

6. Kharma's a bitch

[TexasObserver]

7. the McCain campaign is the only one throwing its pacifier out of the stroller over it

ha!