Posted by
animalgirl on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 8:38:54 AM
Michael Savage has sued CAIR for posting several minute-long excerpts of his program on their Web site to make people aware of his often vile and vicious rhetoric.
He has made the laughable decision to
sue them for copyright infringement.
Mr. Weiner has one big problem: the well-established principle of Fair Use.
Copyright law allows one to excerpt another's work for the purposes of criticism or comment. And of course it does--can you imagine how much free speech would be stifled if you could not quote what another person said when you were discussing their ideas? There could be no discourse at all, if copyright law were what the deluded Michael Weiner thinks it is.
This case is a non-starter. I am no fan of CAIR, but I am even more angry at the abuse and misuse of our court system. I ESPECIALLY hate it when people use copyright law to suppress speech. That is NOT what copyright law is for.
Weiner has every right to say whatever he wants. And CAIR has the right to criticize him.
People also have the right to contact sponsors of a program when they find the content objectionable, whether because it is filled with sex or obscenity or attacks on a certain religion (whether it be Islam or Christianity). And then sponsors have the right to decide whether or not to heed those complaints.
See? That's how free society works. We don't sue people for criticizing us. Copyright law protects ones ability to profit from the sale of the work. CAIR has not created a product that can substitute for the Savage program. End of story.
This suit is vexatious and malicious, and I hope CAIR countersues for frivolous litigation, and is awarded their attornye's fees. Weiner needs to get over himself.