http://tags.library.upenn.edu/tag/media+copyright+free_speech PennTags Feed http://tags.library.upenn.edu/makerecord/url/35591 http://tags.library.upenn.edu/makerecord/url/35591 <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This legal analysis by Fred Von Lohmann of the Electronic Frontier Foundation is empathetic of the McCain campaign&rsquo;s fair use/YouTube problem, as the EFF has been championing internet freedom and fair use principles for many years.&nbsp; However, he is highly critical of McCain proposed solution, which would put the burden on YouTube to conduct legal reviews of videos posted by political candidates that receive takedown notices.&nbsp; He thinks this notion is backwards, since in terms of political speech, amateur commentators are the ones that need special protection from phony takedowns.&nbsp; Despite the failings of the McCain proposal, he goes on to identify the true problem in these situations: the news media organizations.&nbsp; He believes it is their responsibility to refrain from sending bogus takedown notices for legitimate fair uses.&nbsp; As for a recommended response by the public when they don&rsquo;t, he encourages public shaming of the companies, as well as potential lawsuits for submitting a takedown they knew was illegitimate.&nbsp; He also supports the claim made by the McCain campaign that it is not incumbent upon YouTube to follow this strict procedure in the case of fair use, which YouTube itself could reasonably determine with human intervention. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lohman&rsquo;s analysis will be useful in that it finds fault with all parties involved in the process: the alleged infringers, the copyright holders, and the host.&nbsp; He also puts forth a compelling reason why McCain&rsquo;s solution would not be ideal from a societal point of view.&nbsp; The actual reason McCain&rsquo;s proposal was rejected was because YouTube said that their hands were tied in the process; Lohman says that even if YouTube could treat politician's videos differently, they still shouldn&rsquo;t.&nbsp; The author is transparent in placing most of the blame on the news organizations themselves.&nbsp; Other articles refrain from making the obvious claim that if it weren&rsquo;t for the media foolishly asserting a broad claim to copyright, this wouldn&rsquo;t be a problem.&nbsp; Finally, he corroborates the assertion made by the McCain campaign that YouTube does not necessarily need to act with as much immediate speed as it says it does.</p>