TIP- Twitter, stop humoring me with this...
A new Twitter site, Twitter is Penis (or what we’ve nicknamed TIP), has invaded Twitterland today. TIP hijacks innocent tweets, replaces certain words with “penis” - then republishes them.
Quite frankly, on that site, they said they are not affiliated with Twitter. Yes, they can develop Web2.0 stuff for useful tools, but I find this a bit- out of line. Is our Twits have no copyrights? Is Twitter ready to get their money where their mouth will be when lawyer's letter coming to them with copyright infringement of the Twits? I really do not want my Twit to sound like this:
"and when did they start putting pictures of the penises on bumper stickers? I know she's got the hot librarian look, but really? Really?"
If any one of my Twit sounds like the one above, you know where I will go: http://twitterispenis.com/
To drop them my piece of beep.
Comments
I'm pretty sure our tweets are copyrighted. There's only a problem if that copyright is violated.
In fact, I'll look at the Twitter terms of service right now (I mean, let's make sure they aren't violating the basic rules for using the software, right?)
From the Terms of Service (http://twitter.com/tos), here are some important passages:
* Your profile and materials uploaded remain yours
* You can remove your profile at any time by deleting your account.
* Twitter undertakes to obey all relevant copyright laws.
...and all you need to make a claim is this:
1. A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
2. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
So that's from Twitter's terms of service. Now what about copyright law? I mean, because you can't make a claim unless it actually violates a law!
Here are the guidelines for fair use analysis:
1. the purpose and character of the use;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work
Hrm.
* TIP.com transforms the information, adding a great deal of humorous appeal to a vast majority of the viewers.
* None of the augmented text had any commercial value, right?
* The content on TIP.com doesn't appear to infringe on the original owner's ability to exploit his/her original work.
"If any one of my Twit sounds like the one above, you know where I will go..."
I can't see how any of your twit would sounds like that.