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Hands off our news says Associated Press

By Johanna Gibson, David Pearce, Jeremy Phillips and Ilanah Simon.

The IPKat has learned from the Financial Times that Associated Press is planning to crack down on sites which make unauthorised use of its members' content. The AP Chairman told the AP annual meeting

'We can no longer stand by and watch others walk off with our work under misguided legal theories. We are mad as hell, and we are not going to take it any more'.

He went on to say that AP would pursue 'legal and legislative remedies' against those making unauthorised use. AP also plans to develop new search pages for breaking news stories, and a rights management system.

The announcement takes place against a background of declining newspaper revenues.

The IPKat finds this troubling on a number of levels. Protecting news sounds a bit like protecting facts, which the UK doesn't like (though the US does have an action for the misapproriation of news). He's not sure about the 'misguided legal theories' - is this fair use? If so, what makes it misguided? Likewise, pursuing legal remedies is fair enough but pursuing legislative remedies sounds rather like not liking the law and therefore assuming that the legislator will change it for

Full post as published by IPKat on April 07, 2009 (boomark / email).