Copyright infringement complaint from The Onion

Email from The Onion | 09/19/03 | Sean Mills

[Jim Robinson]

Subject: Copyright infringement

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 16:27:04 -0400

From: Sean Mills smills@theonion.com

To: webmaster@freerepublic.com

Dear Free Republic,

It has come to our attention that you have published a number of pieces of Onion content at:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/keyword/onion

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/k-onion/browse

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/583819/posts

This material was published in THE ONION and the images you are presenting are being served by our servers. The material that you are publishing was published without permission of ONION, INC. Further, the material is copyrighted. You have infringed on our copyright and we, therefore, demand that you immediately cease and desist from any further use of the copyrighted material and remove the material from your website. In addition, you may not use the material in any other manner whatsoever.

Please understand that we anticipate your full and immediate cooperation in this matter. Also, please understand that we do not hesitate to enforce our rights in these situations.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sean Mills

[Constitution Day]

Excellent question!

[Frapster]

lol - no great loss. I've read the onion 2 times in the last year - both times after someone posted an article here or uo.stratics.com.

[Liberal Classic]

I've always wondered about deep linking of images.

The Onion are a bunch of wankers if you ask me.

[jern]

I agree. FR is how I found out about the Onion. That article about the PETA stormtroopers killing people to save a rabbit was one of the funniest articles ever.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Last bunch I would expect of having no sense of humor.

[KC Burke]

Caving so quick?

If there is anything that Jim show's respect for outside politics, it is the hard work of another webmaster. If you recall, even after the hard words and link removal by Matt D, Jim got hot when some guys raided his site and got a story early.

I don't mind posting an excert and a link. The whole copy posting necessary in the Whitewater era was really a factor of the stories disappearing or being revised by higher editors in the left leaning journalism clique, thereby shielding Clinton. The fair use issue is only mandatory when the copy vanishes due to media hegomony.

[Saundra Duffy]

I never did. Whew!

[Constitution Day]

Heh!

[tiamat]

Well, I have not been loking at the Onion for ages now. Despite the great bit they did right after 9-11, ( "Hijackers Surpised to Fnd Themselves in Hell") they have become increasingly whiny , anti-troops and Anti-America.

Worse yet, they just aren't funny any more.

I don't need their stuff.

BTW, I continue to love Free Republic! Thanks!

Tia

[AppyPappy]

Splain me something. They have to pay for bandwidth. And I bet their advertising doesn't cover their expenses. So aren't we SAVING them money by "hosting" the content here on FR?

[Sloth]

The shame here is that the Onion has reliably been a more accurate source of news than either the Washington Post or the L.A. Times.

[Constitution Day]

I also found out about the Onion through FR, back when I was a lurker.

I don't recall the PETA stormtroopers article; I will have to look for it.

[ctlpdad]

Major bummer.

They have some of the funniest stuff i have ever read.

Have a good weekend, all!

[Alouette]

they have become increasingly whiny , anti-troops and Anti-America.

Not to mention anti-religious.

[steve in DC]

I have the same question.

Are links still OK?

[rwfromkansas]

good point.

No doubt the lawyers over there haven't realized that.

[jern]

http://www.theonion.com/onion3110/petacommandos.html

[Khurkris]

I agree with JR. One should chose their fights carefully. This could cost money that could better be used elsewhere. And besides, you can always refer to their story if need be.

[DannyTN]

"Well, there goes my patronage of the onion. I used to go theref 2 - 3 times per week. "

I know I went there everytime I saw an article from them posted here. If it wasn't for the occasional Freeper article, I'd forget about them completely.

[headsonpikes]

"Too many folks have taken them seriously in the past..."

TOO MANY?!??? Are you nuts?!?

Not nearly enough, imo. ;^)