Well, it's been a good run ... hundreds of visits a day over the past seven months (about 10,000 per month). We were lauded by Yahoo!, Internet Underground and many other kind folks ... even quietly praised by KOTH insiders.
Sadly, on Sept. 23 a lawyer for the Fox network contacted us and insists we remove all audio clips from our site, or face certain legal action. We will do so within 10 days ... barring a miracle (in which we'd be granted special, written permission to feature Boomhauer audio clips for the purpose of savoring his wisdom).
For complete details, visit "Yeah man, Itellyawhat ... " (http://www.cyberramp.net/~noel)
Should you wish, you may (respectfully) register your dissatisfaction with Fox's action: [email] or KING OF THE HILL; Watt Plaza; Attn: Erica Clare; 1875 Century Park E., 4th Floor; Los Angeles, CA 90067
Fox is removing Audio Clips from the Boomhauer Fan page? The coolest page dedicated to KoTH? That's really stupid! Those people at FOX ought to mind their own business, and let us KoTH fans have fun! :)
Joya Nappo [email]
I Have My Own Pet Virus! I Get to Pet and Name Her! -Kurt Cobain! (1967-1994) (Lead singer of Nirvana!)
So why not call David Oakes, leader of Fox's clan of shovelnosed, slack- jawed copyright loophole litigators and tell them what you think? Their two phone lines are no match for 500 pissed off fans. To speak with them personally, 310-369-2738. To fax your opinions, 310-369-4241. Or if you prefer good old snail mail, fire some off to:
David G. Oakes, Legal Affairs TCF Licensing & Merchandising 10210 W. Pico Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90035
Because justice costs money these days, Fox's lawyers will continue to whack fan sites knowing that individual people lack the organizational and motivational skills -- not to mention mass funds -- to fight them. If fans put a group effort into letting these asswipes know a solution is needed, perhaps things would change. For the time being, David and clan are simply emphasizing their usefulness to Fox by keeping busy with slapping SOMEBODY in the face, whether it's fans or not. If a large enough stink were caused over the activity, Fox would likely take notice of it and think of changing it's policies. After all, while the company legally has a responsibility to protect it's copyrighted crap, it also has a mission of mass appeasal. Mass appeasal earns viewers. Send carbon copies to the president and/or vice president of TCF L&M with your snail mail. (-:
Enough writing on any subject can change even the most stern guidelines. My personal suggestion to them is that they make a one-time license fee of no more than $20 available to individuals for use of copyrighted images, audio, you name it, on web, ftp, gopher, etc. internet sites. While Fox says it's creating a batch of "copyright cleared" images for fan use, that doesn't change the situation. Copyright cleared in this case likely refers to drawings which are close but not accurate. So their solution is to tell fans they must use horribly done graphics instead of those which are the real McCoy. Offer them our solution!
Anyone can part with a $20 bucks once, and since money talks as far as these goons care, $40,000 from 2,000 fan sites might change their opinion. They claim that copyrighted material must be protected to prevent free use, which runs them a risk of being sued by guilds. Not that a guild has ever sued because of a fan's web site, of course. But that's their excuse, and this is the perfect solution. They'd be selling licenses for usage, and no lawsuits could therefore be filed. Plus, we'd have real graphics to use -- our own -- not theirs, which probably wouldn't hardly resemble the characters at all.
Well...if you live in Oregon, it will take much less. I'm an Oregon lawyer and am willing to defend any website owner in Oregon for free. I'm pissed off at Rupert Murdoch and his hired goons for trying to stamp out all independent creations featuring their shows; Dennis Wilson and the other California lawyers at Baker & Hostetler are pawns in Rupert Murdoch's plans for world domination, which includes actions such as attempting to bribe the Speaker of the House to encourage favorable legislation and to get kid glove treatment from the FCC.
I'm a veteran of one such campaign; WIFA, the Worldwide (formerly Warner) Internet Fan Association, which sprung into action when Warner Brothers was pulling the same shit against Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures web sites. We did have some positive contacts with some of the writers and producers of the show, but were not able to get through to anyone with real power.
However, there is a very obvious target coming out next summer....the new Star Wars movie. Wouldn't it be a shame if Fox's behavior caused a groundswell of enmity among Internet users that caused some harm to the Star Wars movie's receipts? Remember, the X-Files gained their popularity here; it can work in reverse.
For the time being, David and
Perhaps a "day of rage" would be appropriate.....everyone sends e-mail and snail mail to Fox Legal (David Oakes) and Baker & Hostettler (Dennis Wilson and some of the larger partners in his firm; the names of the partners can be found at the Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Directory at http://lawyers.martindale.com/marhub). Marc Seltzer is one of the other intellectual property lawyers in the firm; he has been instrumental in the harassment of several web site owners by Warner Brothers, including former alt.tv.simpsons FAQ-keeper Matthew Kurth. His e-mail address is [email]
Or perhaps a defense to a lawsuit claiming fair use, or even implementing a new defense of fair use of trademarks, which has been suggested in a Virginia Law Review article about the use of trademarks in parody.
Aaron Varhola | "From what I've seen of [Rupert] Murdoch's
WIFA Counsel | papers in this country, no self-respecting
YSFC #6 | fish would want to be wrapped in them."
avarhola(at)ix.netcom.com| ---- Mike Royko, 1932-1997
On 2 Oct 1997 13:18:01 -0700, [email] (Alan Gore) wrote:
Nearly every country with an Internet feed is a signatory to the Berne Convention, which defines international copyright law;in most cases, the United States has the *broadest* definitions of 'fair use', so if it's illegal or questionable here, from a copyright perspective, it's going to be worse overseas. (For example, Nottingham, England, tried to suppress publication of a study documenting gross negligence in a child-abuse scandel using Englands' copyright laws -- it was mirrored in the US, where it wasn't in violation of US copyright law.) *----------------------------------------------------* Evolution doesn't take prisoners:Lizard Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue:AuH20 http://www.mrlizard.com