CBS, DMCA, and What Are We Allowed to Even Talk About?
Travis S McClain
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What Happened
Yesterday, I was informed by Google of a DMCA complaint filed against me by OpSec Security on behalf of CBS over a Google Drive document I'd shared publicly that was just a ranked list of TNG episodes. The list was taken down by Google. No screenshots, no video clips, no quotes from the script. Not even remarks. It was literally just the episode titles. I looked into it further and saw that OpSec was established in January and has gone on a tear across the web filing such complaints to have things taken down. I could file a counterclaim, but that was a whole other rigamarole that isn't relevant beyond noting that it's more involved than I anticipated.
Why It's a Concern For Anyone Else
I worry what this copyright infringement rampage do to things like the Big Book and other online resources players have created. Surely this complaint was without merit and my little list would be protected under fair use if I fought it, but of course I don't have the resources to do that. Perhaps Tilting Point, as a license holder, would be in a position to clarify for all concerned what is and is not permissible? I hate to think of this community being dismantled by overly zealous goons.
Edit to Add
The only elaboration for a lot of the claims given consisted of names of episodes of various CBS-owned shows. Based on my experience, it could well be that OpSec is just casting a very wide net and targeting anything that turns up in searches for the names of anything CBS owns.
Here's the claim. It says it was filed against 656 drive.google.com URL's.
Yesterday, I was informed by Google of a DMCA complaint filed against me by OpSec Security on behalf of CBS over a Google Drive document I'd shared publicly that was just a ranked list of TNG episodes. The list was taken down by Google. No screenshots, no video clips, no quotes from the script. Not even remarks. It was literally just the episode titles. I looked into it further and saw that OpSec was established in January and has gone on a tear across the web filing such complaints to have things taken down. I could file a counterclaim, but that was a whole other rigamarole that isn't relevant beyond noting that it's more involved than I anticipated.
Why It's a Concern For Anyone Else
I worry what this copyright infringement rampage do to things like the Big Book and other online resources players have created. Surely this complaint was without merit and my little list would be protected under fair use if I fought it, but of course I don't have the resources to do that. Perhaps Tilting Point, as a license holder, would be in a position to clarify for all concerned what is and is not permissible? I hate to think of this community being dismantled by overly zealous goons.
Edit to Add
The only elaboration for a lot of the claims given consisted of names of episodes of various CBS-owned shows. Based on my experience, it could well be that OpSec is just casting a very wide net and targeting anything that turns up in searches for the names of anything CBS owns.
Here's the claim. It says it was filed against 656 drive.google.com URL's.
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Comments
The hilarious/spooky part is that the notification email was delivered while I was trying to share a WhatCulture piece I had just finished reading about ranking the TNG seasons. As in, I finished reading and hit the share button and received that email all in a matter of seconds.
So we are now no longer able to say “All Good Things....”?
And Banjo was banned from the internet. For doing something illegal? No, for saying “Enterprise was best!”
You should be banned for saying something like that!
*ducks*
sorry i had to 😝😝
Proud member of Patterns of Force
Captain Level 99
Played since January 2017
TP: Do better!!!
Quick correction: It's OpSec, not CoSec. And I think it's concerning that what should be a flippant question is even worth considering.
AND RIGHTLY SO.
the claim. It says it was filed against 656 drive.google.com URL's.
(Okay, mayyybe I would.)
Here's a reaction gif to this whole thing, from Banjo's favorite Trek series...
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
Thank you my friend. I guess I’ll see you in the copyright joint!
That reminds me! This seems especially egregious for CBS, at least for those of us who remember Axanar.
As I remember, part of the Axanar settlement was the establishment by CBS of what boundaries they set on fan made content that they would permit to be made without taking action. I can't imagine a ranked list of episodes is outside any of those boundaries.
Guess you'll find out!
We gotta get it in now before CBS catches us.
I can prove I was using it for years long before you laid claim to it
It all comes down to who's got the better-paid lawyers.
And though not on topic, that reminds me of a quote from the movie "Other People's Money" — where Danny DeVito played a merciless corporate raider:
[Lawyers are] like nuclear warheads. They have theirs, so I have mine. But once you use them, they &#%! up everything.
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
I once beat a public defender in court myself. It was quite easy. He must have graduated at the bottom of his class.
What do you call the person who graduated at the bottom of their class in medical school?
"Doctor"...
But I thought you had faith of the heart.
@Travis S McClain my guess is that they did not like your rankings!
Actually, this is terrible. Too many people not working and sitting at home have nothing better to do than search for harmless things to harm innocent people