Today’s ProPublica “Top Stories” E-mail contained an item about the Associated Press’ recent crackdown on blogs excerpting its stories. ProPublica cited this article, Copyright Infringement Alleged by the Associated Press, and the New York Times’ Bits, The AP, Hot News and Hotheaded Blogs.
Google shows this related article, which seems to show how heavy-handed the AP may be becoming: Associated Press Raises Copyright/Fair Use Stink. The Meadowlark agrees with Mediashift’s article, AP Badly Mistaken on Druge Retort.
In Kansas most AP stories disappear from major newspapers’ web sites (namely the Star and Eagle) a week or two after a story appears. For example, many links to news stories at the Kansas City Star go stale after only a few days. So why should one ever put links to the Star’s articles in a blog?
Whenever possible I will cite and link to a Lawrence Journal-World news story, and other newspapers like the LJW, since their stories do not disappear and the links seem to be permanently maintained. For years I’ve been amazed how some local news stories simply disappear from the Internet as if they didn’t happen.
Wikipedia explains the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law.
Related:
- Backstory on AP – Druge Retort Issue, Media Bloggers Association, June 18, 2008
- Fair Use v. Plagiarism/Copyright Infringement, Ft. Hard Knox, June 18, 2008.
- Hey, Associated Press: You owe me at least $132,125, Michelle Malkin, June 17, 2008.
