Newspaper Chain Drops Righthaven — ‘It Was a Dumb Idea’

[Zorro]

Source: Wired

The new chief executive of MediaNews Group, publisher of the Denver Post and 50 other newspapers, said it was “a dumb idea” for the nation’s second-largest newspaper chain to sign up with copyright troll Righthaven.

The Denver-based publisher’s year-long copyright infringement litigation deal with Righthaven is terminating at month’s end, said John Paton, who replaced Dean Singleton to lead the company on Wednesday.

“The issues about copyright are real,” Paton told Wired.com in a telephone interview. “But the idea that you would hire someone on an — essentially — success fee to run around and sue people at will who may or may not have infringed as a way of protecting yourself … does not reflect how news is created and disseminated in the modern world.”

“I come from the idea that it was a dumb idea from the start,” Paton added, noting that Righthaven was informed of the decision to end relations last month.

Read more: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/09/medianews-righthaven-dumb-idea/

[nobodyspecial]

1. There's not ethical basis for his change of heart

If the venture was still making money, he wouldn't be backing off. It's only "dumb" because they are no longer making money at it.

[DirkGently]

2. No acknowledgement it was a *dishonest* idea. Which was apparent from the start.

[progressoid]

3. Yup. n/t

[Roland99]

7. Bingo!

[Warpy]

10. The whole thing was predicated on the notion that no one would fight back

and that they'd settle out of court. Once a few sites (DU among them) stood up and prepared for a fight, they soon found out they had no basis on which to sue. Once that got out, it was all over.

Expect to see them pop up again with another legal scam that attempts to slow the transfer of information on the net. They've got a billionaire Sugar Daddy named Stephens and I doubt he's going to go away quietly.

[Uncle Joe]

4. It was a corruptive, cynical, greedy, First Amendment assaulting and democracy dampening idea.

Thanks for the thread, Zorro.

[Poll_Blind]

5. Denver Post & MediaNews Group are greedy bastards who are STILL greedy bastards.

They only cut ties because their little venture isn't paying off anymore.

So...Fuck you!

PB

[Renew Deal]

6. This is probably why they are laying people off.

That story was in the news 2 days ago. :bounce:

[KT2000]

8. Skinner and Elad

meant business. I doubt these people would have folded without the fight that they put up!
Now that is what we need to remember - FIGHT BACK!!

[quakerboy]

9. hmm.

I wonder how much of this new found desire to drop it is the hope they can get away from possible further repercussions.