Community networks newsletter / Special edition: Expanding the narrative on community-centred connectivity initiatives
Civil society joint statement on the consensus adoption of the UN Global Digital Compact
太田昌国のコラム : 植民地主義の巻き返しのなかで続く略奪文化財の返還
OurPlanetTV:東電側「専門家の意見書」次回以降へ〜甲状腺がん裁判
たんぽぽ舎メルマガ (12/13)国民民主党の原発推進政策の異様さ
Joint statement: Civil society demands action ahead of Internet Governance Forum
「偉人」の過去の不正義にどう向き合ったか〈下〉 被害者の三井絹子さんはどう考えるか 「人権を語ってきた人が私を傷つけた」
「偉人」の過去の不正義にどう向き合ったか〈下〉 地域・民衆ジャーナリズム賞 冠を外しただけでは再出発できない
第449回 消費者委員会本会議【12月20日開催】
葛飾区労協・三浦議長の写真展「労働運動とわたし」のご案内
「日本軍性奴隷制問題解決のための正義記憶連帯」のメッセージ
JVN: FXC製AE1021およびAE1021PEにおける複数の脆弱性
年末年始のお休みについて
JVN: WordPress用プラグインMy WP Customize Admin/Frontendにおけるクロスサイトスクリプティングの脆弱性
農民連食品分析センター:故障した分析機器更新のための緊急募金にご協力を!
「週刊金曜日」ニュース:難民・移民の人たちとこの街で
EFF Speaks Out in Court for Citizen Journalists
No one gets to abuse copyright to shut down debate. Because of that, we at EFF represent Channel 781, a group of citizen journalists whose YouTube channel was temporarily shut down following copyright infringement claims made by Waltham Community Access Corporation (WCAC). As part of that case, the federal court in Massachusetts heard oral arguments in Channel 781 News v. Waltham Community Access Corporation, a pivotal case for copyright law and digital journalism.
WCAC, Waltham’s public access channel, records city council meetings on video. Channel 781, a group of independent journalists, curates clips of those meetings for its YouTube channel, along with original programming, to spark debate on issues like housing policy and real estate development. WCAC sent a series of DMCA takedown notices that accused Channel 781 of copyright infringement, resulting in YouTube deactivating Channel 781’s channel just days before a critical municipal election.
Represented by EFF and the law firm Brown Rudnick LLP, Channel 781 sued WCAC for misrepresentations in its DMCA takedown notices. We argued that using clips of government meetings from the government access station to engage in public debate is an obvious fair use under copyright. Also, by excerpting factual recordings and using captions to improve accessibility, the group aims to educate the public, a purpose distinct from WCAC’s unannotated broadcasts of hours-long meetings. The lawsuit alleges that WCAC’s takedown requests knowingly misrepresented the legality of Channel 781's use, violating Section 512(f) of the DMCA.
Fighting a Motion to DismissIn court this week, EFF pushed back against WCAC’s motion to dismiss the case. We argued to District Judge Patti Saris that Channel 781’s use of video clips of city government meetings was an obvious fair use, and that by failing to consider fair use before sending takedown notices to YouTube, WCAC violated the law and should be liable for damages.
If Judge Saris denies WCAC’s motion, we will move on to proving our case. We’re confident that the outcome will promote accountability for copyright holders who misuse the powerful notice-and-takedown mechanism that the DMCA provides, and also protect citizen journalists in their use of digital tools.
EFF will continue to provide updates as the case develops. Stay tuned for the latest news on this critical fight for free expression and the protection of digital rights.