Freedom of Speech? You Tube Pulls “WE CON THE WORLD” … Rehosted for All to See

Freedom of Speech on YouTube, eh?Only when it’s not a song parody against the media’s politically correct darling agendas. YouTube has pulled the VIDEO claiming copyright violations. Thankfully it has been rehosted for all to see again.

WE CON THE WORLD … back for your viewing pleasure

However, let’s discuss the so-called copyright violation that YouTube cited.Caroline Glick discusses it best as follows:

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Warner/ Chappell Music, Inc. .

Copyright experts we advised with before posting the song told us in no uncertain terms that we were within our rights to use the song because we did so in accordance with the Fair Use Doctrine. The Fair Use Doctrine, copied and pasted below from the US Copyright Office stipulates that it is legal and permissible to use copyrighted material under the fair use doctrine for purposes of parody.

Copyright attorneys also warned us that given our clearly lawful use of the song We are the World, if anyone wished to silence our voices, they wouldn’t target us. Instead they would target YouTube. It is YouTube’s standard practice to remove any material that they receive even the flimsiest threat for because the company wishes to avoid all litigation.

Check out the Fair Use Doctrine from the US Copyright Office.

However, as much as YouTube tries to silence free speech, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air nails in in the age of the intenet, “this also demonstrates the futility of attempting to silence people in an open-source world, doesn’t it?”

Glick also points out that the “We Con the World” video squarely falls into the realm of parody.  That qualifies it for the “fair use” exemption under copyright law.  Warner /Chappelle can make all the claims they want, but they would lose in court.  YouTube wants to avoid paying for a court appearance, but it doesn’t speak well of a New Media outlet that exists to support content producers that they cave to outside pressure so easily — if that is indeed what happened, and if they weren’t just looking for an excuse to eject Latma’s content from the beginning.

Instapundit raises a very fair questions as to what is YouTube’s roll in today’s media other than one who’s credibility continues to take hits as they seem to be displaying an ideological agenda while squelching free speech.

An update from Caroline Glick … We will not be silenced!!!