The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed away from a DMCA take-down request to remove a YouTube video of a Tibetan protest at the Chinese consulate in New York.
The video in question (see below) was clearly not an example of copyright infringement. YouTube and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) both pushed back against the IOC, which then withdrew their complaint. As the EFF notes, however, the inaccurate title of the video was "Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony," so in all likelihood, the IOC was filing DMCA notices for Olympics content, which has been springing up on YouTube faster than they can take it down.
Anthony Falzone, Executive Director of the Fair Use Project, was impressed that YouTube went beyond the call of duty in pushing back at the IOC. With the sheer volume of DMCA requests that YouTube must be fielding with the Olympics, taking the time to double-check the content is certainly impressive. At the same time, however, it highlights how much work YouTube has to do in terms of policing copyrighted content. The number of legal notices they have to respond to consume time and resources that might be put to better use.
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Comments
Hats off to YouTube and EFF for standing up for free speech. As one who's also done a video mashup about Tibet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhziqwpwZ6Y) I'm of two minds: I don't want to get censored but boy would it be a badge of honor to have a cease'and'desist from the IOC hanging on my wall!
Thank you very much for not removing the Tibetan protest vedio and standing up on justice and freedom, because You Tube shows there are some justice and positive thing on the world. I am very happy that Chinese still doesn't have ability to control whole world.
Thanks a lot for you tube
From Sonam
I wanted to watch the video but it is no more there.
has you tube changed its mind and succumed to stand with those who suppress the rights of expression, in that case it is a big shame to youtube.
I was extremely happy to read about the youtube stand and its support for freedom and justice. It's a blow to the freedom and democracy as such to be succumming to the dictate of one country: CHINA. And it is a shame if IOC pays no heed to its vision and principles and mind you it will remain in the history of IOC and mankind. We are all connected and injustice to one is injustice to all. So Kudos to YOUTUBE for standing to fight against injustice.
Passang.
Hey Youtube thanks and keep it up! That's how you do it. Knock it out.
Thanks.
You tube is hurting 1 billion Chinese feeling. When China becomes the strongest country we will crush youtube and all the white people.
Freedom of Press! Kudos to Youtube. Barking dog seldom bite. Truth hurts but you got to live with it till
you fight for your freedom and democracy.
what u want to do when justice is there and everyone in this world know abt the fake China. u only have the feelings that ur people have gone thru not the innocent tibetans that've been killed by ur governments. what u say abt that!!!!!!!!!!! are u a human or devil?
Thank you for your standing up against 1 billion dog lovers
Thanks!! for stand up with Justice and Solidarity with Tibetan who are suffering inside Tibet.
does this video hurt u this much dat u want them to smash down? then wat abt the pain our tibetan people, in tibet, r bearing every day? they don't even know if they will be alive to see tomorrow. by the way ur statement shows how ur thoughts r ..dats the thought of ur fucking leaders also, wanting to rule the world ( i don't think u can rule the asia in dreams also;) so stop dreaming n wake up! world is watching u!
does this video hurt u this much dat u want them to smash down? then wat abt the pain our tibetan people, in tibet, r bearing every day? they don't even know if they will be alive to see tomorrow. by the way ur statement shows how ur thoughts r ..dats the thought of ur fucking leaders also, wanting to rule the world ( i don't think u can rule the asia in dreams also;) so stop dreaming n wake up! world is watching u!
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