Politics, open government, and safe streets. And the constant incursion of cycling.

American History? Sorry, HBO Owns It

I didn’t criticize the Presidential Inauguration Commission’s decision to sell HBO exclusive rights to broadcast the We Are One concert because I thought that was a reasonable compromise between free public access and the very high levels of private contributions that would otherwise be required.   But then HBO decided that they were going to use copyright law to make sure that most Americans couldn’t witness this piece of history without their permission.  That absolutely amazing moment on the Mall I posted about, led by Pete Seeger?  Sorry, no longer available to you.  HBO owns it.

Your history, copyright HBO.

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8 Comments

  1. Karen

    And on the sign it said “Private Property.”

  2. MB

    And on the sign it said “Private Property.”

    Perfect.

  3. Peej

    Touche, Karen.

    (Clicked over to NPR just on the offchance there might the audio replay could still be available even if the video isn’t but of course, “no online archive will be available for this concert.”

    I’m sure the DVD will be up for preorder on Amazon any day now…)

  4. Why am I not surprised?

  5. Sara

    I’m pretty pissed about this, I don’t have cable television. I think I’ll go download True Blood off of BitTorrent as an interpretative dance expressing my displeasure.

  6. I had heard that the rights to the concert were only good for six months, at which time they would revert to public domain.

    Although that does nothing for those who want to watch it in the meantime, I am sure HBO will be repeating it many times, and getting their money’s worth.

    So, a glass half full sort of situation.

  7. does anyone else think it’s odd that some committee decided *they* own the rights in order to sell them? where does this authority come from?

  8. We still have it embedded here:

    http://www.stjamesucc-love.org/?p=84

    This side, apparently, didn’t say nothin’ and still belongs to you and me.

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