Burning it Down.

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, August 2nd, 2018 - 8 comments
Categories: censorship, copyright, International, Media, Propaganda, video, youtube - Tags: ,

There’s this thing called “fair use” when using copyrighted materials without permission. So, for example, if a video clip is used, and the intent is review, report or criticise current events, then (according to guidelines issued for the UK by the UK government), there is no infringement of copyright.

Seems the BBC couldn’t give a flying hoot about fair use, and in a move that can only be described as “suspect” by anyone desperate to avoid the term “chilling”, they’ve had the entire youtube channels of “Wings Over Scotland” and other pro-independence channels shut down. As Stuart Campbell (Wings Over Scotland) describes it, efforts to reinstate the channel run into a “Kafka-esque loop with no escape”.

Funnily enough, the channels affected are all pro independence channels, giving rise to claims that the BBC, a paragon of impartiality according to some, is executing action that’s politically motivated. I know, I know…who’d have thunk it, right?

Also, it seems there is no avenue of challenge for those channels hit by the BBC claims or Youtube’s decision. And as for relaunching the channel on another platform, well as Stuart Campbell explains in a FAQ below the article on his Wings Over Scotland site –

1. Yes, of course we have the videos backed up. We don’t upload stuff to YouTube then delete it off our hard drive like some sort of Olympic-grade imbeciles. But they’re a fat lot of use to anyone sitting on our hard drive where nobody but us can see them.

2. Yes, we’ve heard of Vimeo. In our experience they’re no less insane about copyright than YouTube are, and in any event reuploading every Wings clip to Vimeo would take approximately a thousand years, then editing every article to link to the new URLs would take another thousand.

3. We’ve got infinite web space. We’d have hosted all the videos ourselves on WordPress years ago as a safeguard against exactly this sort of eventuality, if there was a SINGLE fucking video plugin for WordPress that ACTUALLY WORKED. Seriously, we’ve tried all of them.

Finally. Stuart Campbell writes that he had no notification that any claims of copyright infringement, and no notice of impending termination.  Youtube has a three strikes policy, meaning that the BBC’s one complaint covering more than three items for any given channel, means automatic termination for any targeted channel.

Remember the pom-pom brigade cheering on the hullabaloo about “fake news” and what not? Maybe you were, or even are a member of that troupe calling for greater censorship of “unacceptable” new items. And maybe there’s no connection between the creation of that atmosphere or environment and this floppy boot stomp by Auntie Beeb….maybe.

8 comments on “Burning it Down. ”

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  1. Adrian Thornton 1
    2 August 2018 at 10:49 am

    When I owned and operated a small screenwriting business in central AKL many moons ago, I used to bootleg some band shirts, mostly older smaller unusual bands, the main copyright holder back then for most of these bands was ACME, based in Australia.

    I knew the person who managed those copyrights in NZ, and as the bands that we were bootlegging were not really bands that they were interested in promoting or protecting at that time, they actually told me that it was of use to them that I printed that small number of shirts that we were doing, as it helped to keep the profile of these bands bubbling along.

    So when The Velvet Underground did a reunion tour they called me and said to stop printing those for a while…I have always thought that this unofficial fair use of copyright understanding that we came too was pretty cool and seemed to work well for the bands/copyright (apparel printing) holder and our small 3-4 man business.

    When I first started printing in the early 80’s no one (shop owners, clients etc) ever asked me about copyright, but towards the end of my serious printing career, late 90’s, people were definitely starting to become very aware of it….things were starting to ‘tightening up’.

    …still got the Motorhead screen (or at lest the art work) somewhere.

    • Bill 1.1
      2 August 2018 at 11:18 am

      Bootlegging music or paraphenalia is one thing – and yes, I can see why bands etc might be quite happy to turn a blind eye to “unofficial” promotion of them and/or their material.

      But this bullshit from the BBC looks to be about the dubious use of copyright to shut down channels of information and kill political discourse.

      Quite a different kettle of fish.

  2. Adrian Thornton 2
    2 August 2018 at 12:31 pm

    Of course they are, ( and I agree with you btw) i guess i was just pointing out the perception of copyright by the general public, and how not long ago nobody really gave a shit about or probably even thought about copyrights, now many people think it is part of their civic duty to help to protect the copyright of products and things that they feel a affinity too…so slightly off topic sorry, but still very strange.

  3. greywarshark 3
    2 August 2018 at 4:35 pm

    BBC have lost their lustre in the race to make profit over the decades. But this is egregious. The Brits need to have some sort of ombudsman to complain to by the Scots. Perhaps they can made a case to the UN and shame the Brits into some action.

    From the report this morning from Brit from Kate Adie it sounds awful there, their kneejerk reaction to the referendum on Brexit that it must stand even though it wasn’t to be mandatory, seemed about as deeply thought out as would deciding on an outdoor or indoor party for one of their children.

    I suggest the confusion that either repeats or mocks vox populi in a report on ‘Love Island’ echoes the tone of everything in England at the moment, including th BBC.
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018656311/what-love-island-contestants-make-of-brexit

  4. Ed 4
    2 August 2018 at 6:19 pm

    The BBC is a state propaganda instrument for the deep state.
    It lies all the time.

    • greywarshark 4.1
      2 August 2018 at 7:56 pm

      If BBC lies all the time, how do you tell? Where do you find the truth to enable you to catch the lies? You are OTT. It would be interesting to get a reading of the lie situation from someone who listens to it a lot. Also the Guardian. Sometimes it’s so good and then horrible. Like the nursery rhyme about the little girl with a curl.

  5. Philj 5
    5 August 2018 at 8:29 am

    The BBC does not lie all the time!