Twitter using copyright law to delete stolen jokes

[midian182]

Twitter is cracking down on users who tweet stolen jokes passed off as their own. The microblogging site will treat any DMCA complaints about a plagiarized funny tweet in the same way that it treats other copyright infringement requests.

Twitter user @PlagiarismBad was first to notice that at least five tweets had been deleted by Twitter for copying a joke originally posted by writer Olga Lexell.

The LA-based freelancer subsequently stated that she did file a request to have the jokes removed. “I simply explained to Twitter that as a freelance writer I make my living writing jokes (and I use some of my tweets to test out jokes in my other writing). I then explained that as such, the jokes are my intellectual property, and that the users in question did not have my permission to repost them without giving me credit.”, Lexell said in a series of tweets.

Lexell told The Verge that she's filed similar requests for other jokes, and that Twitter staffers typically remove the offending tweets "within a few days" without asking any follow-up questions. She added that most of the accounts that were reusing her tweets without accreditation were "spam accounts that repost tons of other people's jokes every day."

Anyone can submit a claim through Twitter’s web form, and if it decides to follow through with the request, the company can remove or delete the offending tweets. Twitter’s policy gives the alleged offender 10 days to file a counter notice, and it publishes all complaints to research project Chilling Effects.

Twitter received more than 25,000 Digital Millennium Copyright Act notices last year, though the majority of these were related to multimedia content such as photos, videos and links to copyrighted material. Twitter makes this information publicly available to discourage companies from attempting to block negative publicity they may receive.

A Twitter spokesperson said the site would not comment on individual accounts and pointed to the company's general copyright policy.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/61521-twitter-using-copyright-law-delete-stolen-jokes.html

 

[agb81]

We can kiss goodbye to those accounts whose only purpose was retweeting jokes as own

 

[Cycloid Torus]

This is my original composition because I wrote it. If you put it in your comment, expect a DMCA takedown. I cannot say anything more because someone else has those words copyrighted. In about an hour almost all the words will be copyrighted so get out there and write something, so you will have something to say. Words of the world are being OWNED.

 

[SalaSSin]

This could've been a headline on The Onion.

Honestly, wtf? Except for policital & news related jokes, all other ones have been around for years... So will you take down the "Why did the chicken cross the road" type of jokes?

Aside from that, imho, the example joke is horrible.

 

[stewi0001]

This could've been a headline on The Onion.

Honestly, wtf? Except for policital & news related jokes, all other ones have been around for years... So will you take down the "Why did the chicken cross the road" type of jokes?

Aside from that, imho, the example joke is horrible.

darn you beat me to the Why did the .... COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!!!

 

[Nitrotoxin]

They can delete stolen jokes but not ISIS recruiting information? WTF!!!!

 

[Hexic]

This could've been a headline on The Onion.

Honestly, wtf? Except for policital & news related jokes, all other ones have been around for years... So will you take down the "Why did the chicken cross the road" type of jokes?

Aside from that, imho, the example joke is horrible.

Was thinking the exact same thing. Was kind of thinking it was a joke article at first..

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Jokes are copyrighted? What'll they copyright next, the alphabet?

 

[captaincranky]

What exactly is funny about the, "I saw someone spill their high end juice, blah blah, blah", and what on earth could God possibly have to do with it?

It's sort of obvious why this woman doesn't have a full time job as a writer.

I wouldn't take credit for the line, let alone claim copyright to it..

But, as we're on the topic of God in humor, let me take a slug of the old communion juice, and have at it.

The pope is coming to my city.. So can I write derivative jokes about it, without fear of infringing? For example, "why did the pope cross the ocean"? Answer, "so he can be senile on this side of the Atlantic".

Or maybe, "how many popes does it take to change a light bulb"? Answer, "nobody knows, you can only have one pope at a time"..

I'm copyrighting those ^^^^^, jus' so's ya knows...

 

[LNCPapa]

You're going to hell! (I'm copyrighting that)



-already found the first group to file against:

 

[Bubbajim]

To those of you who think that you can't copyright a joke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YE9Kthyaco

Even if you don't agree with it, it's bloody funny.

 

[captaincranky]

You're going to hell! (I'm copyrighting that)...[ ]...

Who cares? I'll finally get to meet all my role models...!(y)

 

[LNCPapa]

ROFL CC! I'm literally laughing out loud - glad I'm home now and not at work.

btw - watched that link bubbajim - hilarious. I actually can understand why a comedian or writer would want to copyright a joke, but I think it's going to be fairly difficult to enforce.

 

[sadman3]

Isn't it the nature of jokes? That it should be passed from generations to generations? I think she should be thankful that people are having fun with it and that her jokes could make other people happy even if they are facing problems in life.