The International Olympic Committee filed a copyright infringement claim yesterday against YouTube for hosting video of a Free Tibet protest at the Chinese Consulate in Manhattan Thursday night. The video depicts demonstrators conducting a candlelight vigil and projecting a protest video onto the consulate building; the projection features recent footage of Tibetan monks being arrested and riffs on the Olympic logo of the five interlocking rings, turning them into handcuffs. YouTube dutifully yanked the video, but it can still be seen on Vimeo. (Be advised; there is some brief footage of bloody, injured monks.)
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youtube is a bunch of pussies - they should have fought it. shame on them.
Score another one for the International Olympic Committee. Given the company they keep it isn't a shock that they don't understand the whole First Amendment thing.
What are they going to do next? Give Zimbabwe the next open Olympics slot to legitimize Robert Mugabe?
Given that the International Olympic Committee is International, the "whole First Amendment thing" wouldn't really apply. Having watched the video on vimeo, it isn't a news piece showing violence against this protest, but showing this vigil along with some graphic images. Youtube's rules state:
"Graphic or gratuitous violence is not allowed. If your video shows someone getting hurt, attacked, or humiliated, don't post it.
YouTube is not a shock site. Don't post gross-out videos of accidents, dead bodies and similar things.
Respect copyright. Only upload videos that you made or that you are authorized to use. This means don't upload videos you didn't make, or use content in your videos that someone else owns the copyright to, such as music tracks, snippets of copyrighted programs, or videos made by other users, without necessary authorizations. Read our Copyright Tips for more information."
I'm not sure I disagree with youtube's decision to yank this, not just for copyright reasons but for the images. Anti-abortion groups could just as easily post graphic image clips, it is less a free speech issue than an appropriate forum issue.
you did good youtube.
So where exactly IS the appropriate forum? I mean, seriously, if it isn't the job of concerned citizens of the world to get pictures, videos, whatever, of atrocities to the widest possible audience, then what has the world come to?
Might I remind everyone of the political impact of violent or disturbing photography in the past? Those are some of the most famous photos of that era, and it's because they were graphic, got your attention, and made the viewer face the reality of the horrible things being done in another part of the world that you might not get to see for yourself.
That's what the press DOES. (or at least is supposed to do).
first off, they can publish what they want, at least in the U.S. They can distribute fliers. They can put it on their website. Write a book. Their right to publish doesn't conflict with youtube's right to control content on youtube.
Second, nothing on the video is reporting a news story. It's just a prepared propaganda piece.
You might agree with this particular message, but that doesn't make it news or youtube the appropriate forum.
wtf happen to our First Amendment rights, apparently we have no rights on Youtube
Yeah, that's news... they have no right to censor that.
dballing - You make an excellent point about what the press should be doing, what should be shown that we may not be aware of, but the key term that you're misusing is 'press'.
Youtube is not a news organization. It may have the capacity to function as a news organization, but the intent of the business is to host videos, not bring you the news. They're more the transport mechanism than anything else.
Also, being that they are a private organization, they have the option of barring whatever they'd like from being hosted on their site. Hell, the news organizations that published those tragic photos from Vietnam had every right to deny running them...they CHOSE not to.
Youtube CHOOSES to not host violent and/or copyrighted stuff. That is their CHOICE.
That is a distinction that has to be made.
Youtube is a private company, not a governmental organization. All of you who are throwing "First Amendment" around as if you know what it means need to stop.
I am relieved that Youtube has NOT caved into the demands for removing any videos that show approximately 5,000 gang fights, street brawls and any other gratuitous violence.
Hmmm...
Maybe you people need to start waking up.
www.prisonplanet.com
The G8, Bilderberg and any country with enough money will suppress us.
Forget your stupid TV shows. Ignore the olympics and American Idol for once and wake up.
Youtube is just as much of the problem as FOX and CNN
what was the issue that utube removed it?
copyright or graphic images?
making a Olympic ring symbol out of handcuffs for a political media post, would not be a copyright offense