Real Estate Bloggers Beware - New Business Plan out to "Save" the Media

By
Real Estate Agent with Francis Group Real Estate

New Business Plan to "Save" Media by Suing Bloggers and Website Owners

Suing for DollarsWhat started out as some local Las Vegas News concerning a company buying the copyrights to Las Vegas Review Journal articles and then going after and filing lawsuits against bloggers and website operators appears to be going national pretty soon. If you have not been aware of a new company called Righthaven LLC, you might want to make yourself familiar with them.

Las Vegas Sun Chronicles Lawsuits Filed:

You can follow all of the articles on the suits filed including the one where a Las Vegas Real Estate agent AND their Managing Broker has had a lawsuit filed on them for copying Las Vegas Review Journal Real Estate Articles.

What seemed as kind of a bizarre business plan by the Las Vegas Review Journal at first is now being highlighted in a new article where the CEO of Righthaven, LLC is interviewed for this new business "out to save the media" that you can read here:

Newspaper Chains New Business Plan Trolling For Dollars

From the Article in Wired.com:

By David Kravets | July 22nd, 2010 | 3:29 P.M.

"Steve Gibson has a plan to save the media world’s financial crisis — and it’s not the iPad.

Borrowing a page from patent trolls, the CEO of fledgling Las Vegas-based Righthaven has begun buying out the copyrights to newspaper content for the sole purpose of suing blogs and websites that re-post those articles without permission. And he says he’s making money."

In the article, Mr. Gibson goes on to explain that plans are in the works to start contracting with newspaper outlets across the country with potentially "Millions" if not "Billions" of Infringements out there.

One of these "Infringements" are a couple of bloggers running a non profit Cat Lovers Blog.

Meow...

Meow

Yes.. there has been several articles on ActiveRain in the past concerning copyright infringement... but Righthaven LLC is the first company I know of SOLELY formed to hunt down violators and slap them with lawsuits without even warning the operators.

Just in case you need some simple and easy tips to help avoid this.. Darren Welsh, In House Corporate Counsel for Prudential Americana Group - REALTORS has posted a wonderful blog article with some basic guidelines:


Have a Great Friday!


Paul Francis
Prudential Americana Group - REALTORS
REALTOR in Las Vegas
702.592.3058



 

 

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Rainer
264,227
Bill Travis
Captain Bill Realty, LLC - Gilbert, AZ
Broker/Owner

The link you placed:  Legal Tip - Blogs and Copyright Infringement  

has an excellent description of how one can legally use part of an article

Jul 24, 2010 02:57 AM #1
Rainmaker
135,900
Paul Francis
Francis Group Real Estate - Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Real Estate Agent - Summerlin Homes

Thanks Bill,

It's nice having an in House Attorney on Top of what is going on to help keep us in line.

Have a Great Day!

 

Jul 24, 2010 03:23 AM #2
Rainmaker
1,007,874
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Paul, I think the solution to this might be very simple.  Just write original articles, and do not borrow from articles written by others.

Aug 11, 2010 06:06 PM #3
Rainmaker
1,007,874
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Bill, thanks so much for the link.  I will read it, and I am sure I will benefit.  Thanks so much for being a part of the solution to the problem.

Aug 11, 2010 06:07 PM #4
Rainmaker
135,900
Paul Francis
Francis Group Real Estate - Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Real Estate Agent - Summerlin Homes

@ Karen,

Of course it is. However... anybody who has written research papers knows that you should cite the sources for your ideas. By the way... you should probably actually read my full article before commenting. The link supplied was from me and is in the article.

Thanks!

 

Aug 11, 2010 06:18 PM #5
Rainmaker
84,640
Stephen Garner
Hub Media Company - Tempe, AZ
Hub Media Company
Thank you this article, very interesting. I create my own content, I, like almost all writers, bloggers, authors do borrow from real life or past experiences. I agree, you should not use someone elses content without giving credit and/or a link, but it appears that this will turn out to be much to do about nothing. Read the paragraph and link to original content below, Looks like the judge in the case you referenced thought this suit was as ridiculous as I think it is. From the Daily Online Examiner: A blogger who used eight sentences of a 30-sentence Las Vegas Review-Journal article has prevailed in a lawsuit brought by copyright enforcement outfit Righthaven. U.S. District Court Judge Larry Hicks ruled that realtor Michael Nelson, who also blogs about home ownership, is protected by the fair use doctrine. "Nelson's use of the copyrighted material is likely to have little to no effect on the market for the copyrighted news article," Hicks wrote. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=138060
Oct 30, 2010 06:28 PM #6
Rainmaker
217,920
Lucky Lang
Premiere Plus Realty Marco Island - Marco Island, FL
Marco Island & Naples Florida Real Estate

Paul,

Very interesting topic!

I wonder where all of this will lead in the future!

Take Care!

Lucky :)

 

Oct 30, 2010 09:23 PM #7
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Paul Francis

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