It had to come to this: failing newspapers all over the country are filing lawsuits against bloggers (big and small) who republish large chunks of their stories on their blogs.
We’re not talking about your usual run-of-the-mill cease & desist letters or DMCA take down notices either. According to the LA Times, one newspaper has already filed 30 lawsuits against websites and blogs, including a small cat blog that has no ads.
Reporters and editors get understandably peeved when they see paragraph after paragraph of their work reprinted by competitors — regurgitation so extensive that there’s no reason for the reader to seek out the original, even when a link is provided. [LINK]
If you’re a small blogger who generously helps yourself to entire news stories from other media outlets, you should pay attention because you might be next.
“It took some blood, sweat and tears to get this material,” said Mark Hinueber, general counsel for Stephens Media. “It’s just wrong to then have some guy in his basement taking this stuff wholesale, selling ads around it and making money.” [LINK]
Newspapers are laying off staff and shutting down all over the country. The few remaining papers are hemorrhaging money and they have decided something has to be done about the little upstart bloggers who are stealing their hard work.
The LA Times article provided tips for bloggers who wish to avoid future litigation: “…don’t republish more than three paragraphs. Always name your source. Always link to the original.”
