An effort to minimise the public ridicule directed at ANN7 by removing online blooper videos has simply exacerbated the situation, making it the latest victim of the Streisand Effect. This is according to local Web and digital media lawyer, Paul Jacobson.
The 24-hour news channel has received a massive backlash since its recent launch, with social networks buzzing with jokes and negative comment.
However, yesterday the numerous YouTube clips showing bloopers from the channel's broadcasts disappeared off the Web site. Instead, viewers are now greeted with a message that says: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Aiplex Software Pvt Ltd."
According to Memeburn, the India-based company, Aiplex Software, has previously been contracted by the Motion Picture Association of America to deliver copyright notices to Web sites that it deems violate copyright laws.
"What Aiplex Software seems to have done is lodge take-down notices with YouTube under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)," says Jacobson. "YouTube is practically required to remove the offending content if it wishes to benefit from a liability shield extended by the DMCA, unless it takes the view the take-down notice has no basis and YouTube resists it."
Jacobson says users who published the videos can now file counter take-down notices calling on YouTube to reinstate the videos. Independent TV critic Thinus Ferreira posted on his blog that he instantly filed a counter-notification with YouTube, but says this could take up to 10 days to resolve.
"Aiplex Software's campaign to remove these videos and target other critical materials is only heightening public interest in ANN7's content and quality and, quite possibly, attracting even more attention than it would have had otherwise. This is the hallmark of the Streisand Effect and the phenomenon doesn't draw a distinction between legitimate efforts to protect rights and less legitimate efforts," says Jacobson.
The public swiftly responded to the ANN7's YouTube disappearing act by posting new clips to the video sharing site, which were still available by the time this article was published.
No muzzling Twitter
Aiplex is going to have a hard time to get rid of the increasing number of ANN7 parody accounts on Twitter, says Jacobson.
"Unfortunately, Aiplex Software may not find Twitter to be very accommodating. Twitter's various policies include a fairly clear parody, commentary and fan account policy, which could well protect parody profiles: If an account is engaged in parody and follows all of the above recommendations, it will generally be free to continue in its parody so long as it doesn't mislead or deceive others," he says.
He notes that any potential prejudice caused by copyright infringement will almost certainly be dwarfed by the reputational harm magnified by the Streisand Effect thanks, to a large degree, to the campaign to suppress criticism and ridicule.
"It's not clear if Aiplex Software has a valid basis to require these videos to be taken offline and that doesn't really matter," he says. "What does matter is that members of the public are fascinated with this story and they are sharing their opinions widely and rapidly."
Share