Conservative nonprofit accuses Raw Story of violating copyright

[kpete]

After critical article, conservative nonprofit accuses Raw Story of violating copyright
John Byrne
Published: March 3, 2006


The National Center for Public Policy Research, the conservative nonprofit where fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff served as a director, has instructed RAW STORY to remove a fundraising letter the group sent in 2004.

Noland MacKenzie Canter, III, a lawyer for the group, says the publication of the center’s fundraising letter violates their copyright. To many outside Washington, the center is known for being the group that Abramoff used to cover posh junkets for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).

RAW STORY published the letter in January of 2005. The story it accompanied detailed the effort by the conservative nonprofit to raise money from senior citizens by disguising a solicitation for a political donation under the guise of a “Task Force” to save Social Security.



Sent amidst a climate of growing concern about the Social Security program, the group's letters targeted seniors of both parties, aiming to convince them their Social Security benefits were in jeopardy in hopes of inducing them to donate money. The mailings also encouraged seniors to keep the missive secret from others, perhaps even from family members.

"Inside your sealed envelope is information regarding the potential collapse of the Social Security system -- and how it can endanger you and the entire United States senior citizen population," NCPPR president Amy Ridenour writes on behalf of the National Social Security Task Force (Read the letter here).

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/After_critical_article_conservative_nonprofit_accuses_0303.html

[Spazito]

1. LOL, a mass mailing qualifies as being copyrighted material?

Is this reaching or what!

:rofl:

Although, with the bush cabal in control of the USSC, who the hell knows!

[smoogatz]

2. If somebody sends you a letter, it's YOUR property, to do with as you like

They're bluffing. They got nothing.

[valerief]

3. They got the Supreme Court now

Laws are created to protect the guilty.

[RazzleDazzle]

20. No, you can NOT do what you wish with someone else's letter.

You certainly don't have the right to publish it for all the world to see. It belongs to the writer -- and after that, to his/her heirs to do with as THEY wish. Possession is NOT ownership of "the bundle of rights" known as copyright.

Now, I happen to think they don't have a leg to stand on for an entirely different reason: RawStory is a news organization, and is not profiting from using it except as they "profit" from other news they run, so their publishing comes under "fair use" doctrine of the copyright law. But they can certainly try, and create enough headache, hassle and harrassment for RawStory in the meantime to perhaps get them to remove it, or just punish them if not.

[Liz_Estrada]

4. I'd like to sue them

for defrauding my Alzheimer's-afflicted mom out of a few thousand dollars before we got the checkbook away from her. Mom received "Urgent" letters from Amy Ridenour almost daily, asking for immediate $$$ to fight the imagined evils of Bill Clinton. Hilary was right about the 'vast right-wing conspiracy' and NCPPR is part of it.

[myrna minx]

7. I'm so sorry that this happened to your mom.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Liz_Estrada]

10. Thanks, I've been here awhile

but I'm mainly a reader, not a writer!

[Catrina]

11. If seniors who received these frightening letters can be located, maybe

a class-action lawsuit should be filed against them ~ why wait for them to file suit? It's time to take the offensive with these scam-artists. I am sorry your poor mom was a victim of these people. Let's hope more people will step forward and hopefully can produce the letters they received ~

I agree with the poster who said that once a letter is mailed to you, it is yours ~ I'm not sure of this, but their threat to Raw Story sounds like their usual tactics ~ another scare tactic ~ what truly nasty people they are ~ to play on the elderly this way, and to think they would not be caught ~

[Liz_Estrada]

14. I've wondered about that

and if there's any statute of limitations on this sort of thing.

[banana republican]

15. As I recall it only takes 10

to file for a class action. And an attorney willing to take a peice of the action.

[Horse with no Name]

5. As you can see

This is a very Rovian strategy.
They are going after Randi Rhodes and Raw Story.
It's no accident it is happening at the same time. It is the game plan.

[Lolivia]

6. Whooaa...cognitive dissonance overload

"conservative non-profit?" I never thought I'd see those two words in the same sentance.

[depakid]

8. Try: conservative tax-exempt

Lessens the dissonance.

[Lolivia]

9. Yeah, that I can handle

My brain can wrap itself around a conservative organization not paying taxes - but not one that isn't lining its pockets.

:)

[Liz_Estrada]

12. I saved some of those letters

to my mom. I should dig them out and post a few choice excerpts!

[Catrina]

16. That would be interesting ~ or send them to Raw Story ~

and see if they threaten to sue then, let's see if they have a case ~ besides, I think their scam should be broadcast far and wide with as much evidence as is available. Don't they always say if you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to hide, nothing to fear?

As far as a statute of limitations, I'm not sure. I may be wrong, but if it's a criminal matter, (ie murder, extortion, rape etc.) I don't think so. Civil matters may be different ~ personally after reading the letter in Raw Story's article, I think it's criminal.

To lead elderly people to think that they are in some way responsible for saving SS and need to be careful to whom they talk about it, how frightening to a person who is older, and who may then become fearful of talking to anyone at all. And all for no reason, except they were running a scam ~ and probably were worried that family members would stop their loved ones from contributing money to this scam.

I saw her at the hearings. She painted herself as a reputable individual who had been fooled by Abramoff, if I recall ~ I wonder if she is under investigation.

[leftofthedial]

13. I don't understand at all how these repuke front organizations

think tanks and such get away with being "nonprofits"

I've been involved in creating two nonprofits and you have to bend over backwards to prove a "charitable" mission

Is anyone aware of a bona fide "conservative" nonprofit that is not a scam?

[RazzleDazzle]

21. Charitable isn't all there is -- educational works just as well for a

501(c)(3).

And yes, there are plenty of conservative non-profits. Whether you consider them a scam or not depends on your definition of scam, I suppose. I rather despise the American Enterprise Institute, for example, but a scam they're not.

[leftofthedial]

22. scam they are

their main function is drafting talking points for one party.

[gatorboy]

17. First Randi now Rawstory.

The attack on the real liberal media has begun...

[RagingInMiami]

18. These people are getting desperate

[rpgamerd00d]

19. Copyright doesnt apply. They aren't selling it. Neener Neener.