Standing on principle

The wingers are using this to flog their hobbyhorse about media bias, but I'm glad to see Founding Bloggers take a stand for different reasons.

Founding Bloggers, the conservative web site that had its video critical of CNN's reporting on a Chicago "tea party" removed by YouTube after the cable network sent a DMCA takedown notice, is not backing down. On Thursday, Founding Bloggers submitted a DMCA counternotice to YouTube, starting the clock ticking toward a possible re-posting by YouTube -- or a lawsuit that could establish important legal precedent regarding the contours of copyright law's fair use doctrine, especially as it applies to use of news video by political bloggers. "We're not going to let this just go away," Andrew Marcus of Founding Bloggers told C&C in an interview earlier today.

I didn't see the original YouTube that was taken down so I don't have an opinion on whether it violated fair use, but the later version at the link doesn't as far as I can see. It's good for everyone that they have the means and the willingness to test this case. I hope they take it to court and win.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]