When this is over and done, this thread needs to go the Classics.
Seriously though, although they were within their rights, they could have approached Kori and LJ more amicably.
Anyway, as others have said, it isn't much loss to us. Almost all of their articles are just summaries of the post-game quotes or the practice reports from spursdotcom.
I read new corp is doing the same thing. it's the new idea of how to save newspapers.Hearst said its newspapers plan to hold back at least some content from their free Web sites, launching the publisher onto the vanguard of print media companies to begin charging for their digital news and information.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/02/...s/tab/article/
From the looks of it mookie got owned by McDonaldespecially with the I've kissed a girl comment
7:18 Jeff McDonald: I work for this newspaper/website ... for one. Also, I've kissed a girl before.
Friday March 12, 2010 7:18 Jeff McDonald
7:18 Jeff McDonald: Sorry ... that was a joke.
Last edited by phxspurfan; 03-12-2010 at 10:24 PM.
I understand why the Express-News is doing this. It's within their rights, and at this point in the newspaper industry, online advertising is a big deal.
However, the use of a lawyer in an initial, simple request is heavy-handed and lacks serious tact. An email or PM, the same way spursdotcom says they have done in the past, would have been very sufficient. Not to mention that they probably paid that lawyer more to write that letter than Spurstalk has ever "stolen" from them in ad revenue.
The request to remove ALL E-N articles from the past 7 years from the site is perhaps the most ridiculous part of the request. Not only is that a massive amount of work for Kori, anything older than 2 weeks is only going to give them MORE traffic as users browse the archives, not less.
Since I understand and respect the newspaper industry and the sad state it's currently in, I would often click on the links posted here, partially to read the article in it's original formatting, but also to support the newspaper in a small way. While I don't view the E-N writers and columnists in nearly as negative a light as many people here, I agree that the quality of writing has gone down significantly since Ludden's departure. I also agree that much of their content looks like it was stolen from SpursTalk, which detracts from the value of the article, even if it's mere coincidence and "late-to-the-party-ness" instead of real theft. I don't know what policy Kori and LJ want to take on the posting of links or lack thereof, but I do know that I will be clicking on the links less often, and I wouldn't be surprised if the E-N's traffic goes down slightly due to this maneuver on their part.
I fully support FromWayDowntown's suggestion of sending them a similarly worded letter requesting that they stop copying material and ideas from SpursTalk.
I also like dbestpro's idea of starting a competing article and opinion column project on SpursTalk. If that's a route Kori and LJ are considering, I'd likely be supportive.
All told, this move by the E-N isn't that big a deal, and will hurt them more than it will hurt us. SpursTalk was doing a great job of becoming the one-stop-shop for Spurs news and chatter, and will continue to be so even if the Express-News content is never seen here again.
If I'm not mistaken, copyright doesn't include ideas. So unless they fully copy and paste any of the takes here without credit, I don't think ST can do anything on that regard.
Such a letter would have more bark than bite, and would mostly be a joke. I support it because it would be hilarious and poignant. While I highly doubt the Ellis family would ever take any legal action against the E-N in this regard, it would get the point across that many of the story ideas and opinions in the Express-News appeared on SpursTalk first.
Too bad their $30,000 cease and desist letter has no legal power behind it. Unfortunately it still accomplishes the same goal through intimidation.
Copyright covers all information, as re ed as someone owning a bunch of words is.If I'm not mistaken, copyright doesn't include ideas. So unless they fully copy and paste any of the takes here without credit, I don't think ST can do anything on that regard.
They are doing it because they are running an unsustainable business model. Same reason that the music and movie industry do nothing but fight piracy; their re ed models treat the consumer as the enemy.I understand why the Express-News is doing this. It's within their rights, and at this point in the newspaper industry, online advertising is a big deal.
This is a great read and is closely tied to the death of copyright. Within the next generation all information will be free, other models can't be sustained in the digital era.
Express-News uses derivative works of takes on here, so no law breaking, its within fair use.Such a letter would have more bark than bite, and would mostly be a joke. I support it because it would be hilarious and poignant. While I highly doubt the Ellis family would ever take any legal action against the E-N in this regard, it would get the point across that many of the story ideas and opinions in the Express-News appeared on SpursTalk first.
The best ways to return the EN favor would be something like:
1. Get the word out, everyone would copy their stories and their business takes a hit. The digg effect, such as when cease and desists went out about dvd encoding keys and they got spammed all over the web.
2. Censor all EN links. Bye-bye entire business segment on spurstalk.
3. Cancel EN subscription if you have one, along with a letter.
No, it doesn't. How it is expressed, yes. But not the idea itself.
I agree with lurker23. It would be fun to send them that letter just for the fun of it even though it wouldn't have any legal ramifications for them. It's unfair that they get to do this and yet they've most probably been stealing ideas and inside infos from ST for years.
-why are we small balling?-isnt exactly inventing the snuggie
anyway these writers are offended and really just plain scared that any asshole with a blackberry can do what they do and sometimes do it a lot better, theyre hanging on by being smug and pompous about it
its akin to "real musicians" chodes exploding when kraftwerk changed tha game with a box and a mic, adapt or die and 35 years later there wont be a difference
i'd express my approval of that last post but timvp would just log in as gtownspur and scarf me yet again
New York City??!!!
Get a rope
Interesting take, brah.
Noted.
This is how I feel about the Express News.
As far as I know, as long as there was a correct citation of the work it can't be called plagiarism (which I guess is what he's accusing the ST community of doing).
Maybe we should have been using MLA style?
What a bunch of ing re s.
They would rather get less exposure for their articles by banning others from copying and linking to them simply so they get a few more hits?
them. Their articles are ful anyway. SpursTalk and 48MoH covers the Spurs 10000000000000x better than they do.
Well damn guess we'll have to find another POS paper to get POS articles to read.
No, they are accusing us of copyright infringement. And we (SpursTalk) are guilty of that.
Plagiarism would be copying their work and trying to pass it off as our own. We don't do that -- we credit them. It's copyright infringement because (though we link back to them) we haven't been granted permission to republish their articles on our site.
It's really not that big of deal. LJ is going to email them and see how we can go about removing the last seven years of their articles. And we won't be posting their articles anymore.
I'd prefer that you guys don't f with them.
Don't fish with them?
Will do.Live and let live.
Although it's a little too late after what mookie did at their gamechat.It was pretty hilarious. I almost felt bad for McDonald.
Why? It's not like they can do anything once you've swept the site of their articles. 'em.
Screwing with McDonald misses the point because he's only a crappy beat writer - this decision came from on high.
I think we all should just ignore that paper like it never existed. It's not like they ever say anything worth reading.
Move on.
PS The idea of tracking down and removing 7 years of articles from the archives is pretty horrendous though! Hope they only ask you to do it for the last month or something, Kori.
They asked us to remove them all (in the letter) -- so that's since the forum existed.PS The idea of tracking down and removing 7 years of articles from the archives is pretty horrendous though! Hope they only ask you to do it for the last month or something, Kori.
Yeah, you're right.
I'm not gonna post my thread that I had set up earlier. It came off as mean (funny...mean) and probably directed at the wrong people.
Removing things for the last 7 years is ing re ed. Typical big corporate lawyer. Make re ed requests. I'm surprised they didnt give a have it done within 48 hours or else edict.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
