James Grimmleman decided to run a test case with the Associated Press’s new licensing system. He filled out the forms, cited an article, and then when it came to the words he wished to quote he typed in this from Thomas Jefferson:
If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea.
Yeah, that’s in the public domain. And, yeah, the AP’s software charged him for it, at 46 cents a word (that’s with an educational discount.) Apparently the AP”s new crackerjack system doesn’t care what the words are, just how many and at what price. I wonder how much they spent on that? Anyway, when he published the incident on his blog, the AP revoked his license and refunded the money. Yeah, you read that correctly. His license to use words that are not subject to any form of copyright protection was revoked. Grimmleman wants to grant a license that allow the AP not to be such dunderheads. I’m guessing he would be so busy passing out no dunderhead protection licenses that he’d be swamped.
By the way, check out the footer you would have to publish in order to use the system. And you aren’t able to use it for political purposes. Hmmm? I wonder if the First amendment is copyrighted?
Back to the drawing board, AP.
Via BoingBoing
