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TNOYF Analyzes Letter From AP Lawyer To Brian Ledbetter At Snapped Shot
The Nose On Your Face continues to examine the case of the Associated Press attempting to strong-arm blogger Brian Ledbetter from the photojournalism-critiquing website, Snapped Shot. Below is an actual copy of the letter Brian received from the AP’s lawyer. Our thoughts and clarifications can be found in boldface.
Dear Mr. Ledbetter:
It has come to The Associated Press’ (”AP”) attention that you are reproducing and displaying AP’s images on the website http://www.snappedshot.com/ (the “Website”). (Now how come this has come to your attention, but Muslim terrorists staging scenes of horrific barbarity perpetrated by U.S. Forces always seems to fly just under your radar? It’s the teddy bears they use isn’t it?) Our monitoring has shown that the copying and display of AP’s images is not isolated or sporadic but frequent and systemic (Actually, we aimed for “intermittent,” but it didn’t take long before it was “patchy.” After crossing that invisible boundary into “regular,” it was just a short jaunt into the looming blackness of “methodical.” ). For your reference, I have annexed (such a nice Marxist word) copies of the AP images taken from the Website (Did you have your Redundancy Department of Redundant Redundancies handle this?).
AP’s records do not indicate that you have a valid license to use AP’s images in connection with the Website (Is it still okay that my daughter cut out an AP picture for her class project? If you are going to serve her, at least wait until after school, please. First graders can get really embarrassed by that sort of thing.) . However, if you have acquired a valid license to reproduce and display AP’s images on the Website through some other legitimate source (Is that it? Then we are all set. Nigel from This Goes To 11 told Brian he could use them, and you can say whatever you’d like about Nigel,but you can’t say he’s not legit) please notify me immediately with proof of such license (can we just doctor one up quick? You guys usually seem cool with that sort of thing.).
As use of AP’s images is the same for which a license is required, reproduction and display of the AP images without a license constitutes a copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, Title 17, United States Code (your words make my hair hurt). Under the Copyright Act no exemption exists for the use of AP images in the manner that you are using the images (except for that pesky “Fair Use” thingy). This use is precisely the type of use that is validly licensed by other news and blogger sites (except for the vicious mocking, scorn, and ridicule). As such, AP is entitled to compensation for the unauthorized reproduction and public display of all AP’s images displayed on the Website. Until you obtain a proper license (Nigel’s photoshopping one right now. Told you that guy is legit.), you must immediately cease and desist from reproducing or displaying any of AP’s images (That whole “fair usage” thing can get pretty inconvenient when it shines the spotlight on you, can’t it?). If you are interested in continuing to use AP’s images, AP can offer you a license to reproduce and display its images on the Website going forward (After reading all of that, I think we can all agree that we’d like to put some more money into the pockets of the AP. After all, they are using it for good purposes, such as hiring lawyers like you). In any event, AP is entitled to, and will pursue from you, fees for the past use of its images (Perhaps we can work out a deal– he’ll stop using the images if you stop your persistent, unrelenting effort to go to any length, including lying, doctoring, and misleading the public, in your effort to destroy the United States. Sound good?) .
AP treats copyright infringement as a serious matter (unlike Islamofascism and it’s adherents who manipulate AP photographers for the purpose of spreading anti-Western propaganda) and is fully prepared to commence legal action to protect its intellectual property rights in its news services (unless the usage is by an impoverished, yet noble, revolutionary people who are trying to throw off the yoke of Zionism.) However, if you are interested in resolving this matter prior to litigation, AP expects full compliance with the above demands. Please contact me via email at pdoshi@ap.org or at 212-621-7287 within the next ten business days from the date written above, to discuss this matter in further detail (If this involves sending a large sum of money to a Nigerian church in exchange for more money coming back to me later, then count me out.). If I do not hear from you within the ten-day period, or it becomes clear that you refuse to comply with its obligations not to use AP’s images without permission, AP will take the actions necessary to enforce its legal rights (Never mind yours.)
Very truly yours (At least have the decency to say what you mean here. How about, “I very truly hope I can shove it sideways up your rectum?” Closer to the mark, don’t you think?),
Priti H. Doshi (Wait a minute, are you related to Shakeel Bhat? Is this going to turn up on an episode of Pakistani Punk’d? You rascal! You nearly had me!)
Corporate CounselENCLOSURES
Also see: Transcript Of Meeting Where AP Decided To Take Action Against Snapped Shot
- Top 9 Reasons The AP Is F***ing With Brian Ledbetter At Snapped Shot
- Transcript of AP Meeting Where Decision Was Made To Take Action Against Snapped Shot
Once again, FUNNY.
Hilarious.
To The Point.
The AP is just using bully tactics that they know are not valid or legal to try and shut this meager man down. If he had lots of money you have got to know that this would have never occurred.
Brian needs to open a legal defense fund in the same vein he had a server repair fund a while back. I will be the first to offer up $100. Anybody else there willing to stand up for the right.
And you are right…I’m getting right on that license for Brian…
Now where did I put my crayons?
I’ll let you borrow mine Nigel. The Bush tax cuts and smoking hawt economy allowed me to buy the big box of Crayola Crayons (can I say what brand name I purchased?), you know, the one with the built in sharpener?
Now, do you want to borrow the Ruby Red Infidel Blood or the NYTimes Old Lady Grey?
AP treats copyright infringement as a serious matter (unlike Islamofascism and it’s adherents who manipulate AP photographers for the purpose of spreading anti-Western propaganda) and is fully prepared to commence legal action to protect its intellectual property rights in its news services (unless the usage is by an impoverished, yet noble, revolutionary people who are trying to throw off the yoke of Zionism.)
Good one!
But it is too close to the truth.
I’d say go with Modern Day Democratic Party Yellow, Stacy.
Wait, if he’s using hot-linking then isn’t it the AP that’s serving up those pictures free of charge. Perhaps they need to sue their own IT department for not preventing their website for sending out the pictures for free. All the hot-linkers web site is doing is sending HTML to the client browser telling it where the picture is on the AP site. He’s not actually “copying” the page. It’s AP’s website that is sending out the copy directly to the browser of someone else bypassing Brian’s site completely.
Brian, that’s a really good point.
Now for those of us who don’t “hotlink” (I copy and paste into my “pictures” folder), are we still screwed?
So the lawyer who sent the letter is named Priti H. Doshi? I suggest that henceforth this person be dubbed Petty Douchie.
How’s it going Petty Douchie? Your parents proud of you?
Priti thinks staged photos are intellectual property, but that’s just silly. Only a lawyer would think that fake stuff somebody made up is intellectual.