Associated Press scans Sarah Palin’s book
As long-time readers of this blog are probably aware, the Associated Press has caused a bit of controversy lately involving people ostensibly violating its copyright by copying and pasting too much text out of its stories. It has also been involved in the separate kerfuffle over Google and other news aggregators “stealing” news services’ stories.
Well, here comes a bit of delicious irony. A story popped up over the weekend that apparently the Associated Press scanned all of Sarah Palin’s book Going Rogue, sans permission, so that multiple AP staffers could read relevant sections of the single copy of the book they purchased (when a store accidentally sold a copy 5 days ahead of its street date). But it’s all right, because the scanned copy wasn’t for public consumption!
So, we can all breathe easy, because it’s not a copyright violation after all when a big company scans an author’s book without permission even if they do not actually intend to display all of it to the public. Is anyone in the AP even paying attention to what they’re doing?
It does not matter whether the scan was for private or public consumption. Copyright law is clear. If it is going to insist that bloggers not use its words without permission, the Associated Press really should try to make the effort to stay within the law itself.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
The AP’s too cheap to buy copies for staffers who need one, or let those staffers buy their own copy and reimburse them?
So the AP is different from your average Internet ‘pirate’ in what way?
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Under copyright law, AP’s behavior was worse that that. It used these scans to serve commercial purposes, meaning to make themselves money. That’s one of the negative factors in determining fair use. That puts AP in worse shape legally than pirates who simply steal for their own enjoyment.
By the way, AP has a mere two people providing the public with an ‘analysis’ of the 4000+ pages of intolerably dense legalese in the health legislation pending before Congress. In contrast, at various times they had 11 reporters ‘fact checking’ Palin’s 413 page, easy-to-read biography, all to no avail.
I finished her book just last night and came away with the realization that, with memories stretching back to the late Eisenhower years, I’ve never encountered someone with more political savvy. The AP’s obsession with trying to find errors in the book, however minor, illustrates that. One mark of political genius is an ability to drive opponents batty.
For a broader illustration, try to imagine any other time when the losing VP candidate has managed to attract so much attention. She did a Facebook post on death panels. Those who knew nothing (i.e. the NY Times) shrilly denounced her remarks as inaccurate. About a week later, the clause in the legislation that established proto-death panels was quietly removed.
I highly recommend her book. Rarely do you find someone in politics with the guts and good sense of Sarah Palin.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Good story, Chris. Two AP reporters split the US$500 prize for getting ahold of the book first using their gumshoe tactics. One was national entertainment writer Hillel Italie, a very nice person. He covers the publishing business for years. He knew what he was doing. Getting a scoop on an embargoed book release. But if AP violated copyright law, they should be prosecuted, you are right.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Wrong, wrong, wrong, Mike. There was never any proto-death panel clause to remove, because at the time Palin made her death-panel comment, there was no bill yet!
Keep drinking the Kool-aid though.
BTW, the mark of a political genius is to get the opposition to do what you want. Much as I personally loathe him, I have to hand it to GWB for that.
Palin a genius of any stripe? Heh. Here, have more Kool-Aid.
December 27th, 2009 at 7:22 am
There are critics of Sarah Palin but in my opinion she is also a very good politician and she also did some good projects in Alaska.
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