Comments on: BBC removes Doctor Who fan’s knitting patterns from the Web http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/ Protecting your rights in the digital age Fri, 16 May 2008 04:55:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Billy Hunt http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163793 Billy Hunt Thu, 15 May 2008 22:51:27 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163793 Ooh! Ood dolls! Can I get one off of eBay? Ooh! Ood dolls! Can I get one off of eBay?

]]> By: Big news week • Blogcoven http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163792 Big news week • Blogcoven Thu, 15 May 2008 21:24:22 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163792 [...] has also been quite a stir in my two primary extracurricular activities (knitting and Doctor Who — gaming, sadly, has [...] [...] has also been quite a stir in my two primary extracurricular activities (knitting and Doctor Who — gaming, sadly, has [...]

]]> By: Dr. Who Pattern Debacle - Whose Property is Intellectual? « I am addicted http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163791 Dr. Who Pattern Debacle - Whose Property is Intellectual? « I am addicted Thu, 15 May 2008 17:37:36 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163791 [...] Ravelry, Science Fiction If you haven’t heard anything about this, there’s been argument over some knitting patterns developed by a Dr. Who fan. In a nutshell, the fan created doll patterns of certain creatures from [...] [...] Ravelry, Science Fiction If you haven’t heard anything about this, there’s been argument over some knitting patterns developed by a Dr. Who fan. In a nutshell, the fan created doll patterns of certain creatures from [...]

]]> By: BBC Goes after Dr. Who knitting pattern maker « The random musings of a 1973 Original http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163790 BBC Goes after Dr. Who knitting pattern maker « The random musings of a 1973 Original Thu, 15 May 2008 10:50:07 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163790 [...] be catching attention if Neil Gaiman would blog about the foolishness that the BBC is up to now. They are going after a knitter who created some Dr. Who patterns and was not selling them. Some fool put them up on Ebay as sales and now the Beeb has gone after [...] [...] be catching attention if Neil Gaiman would blog about the foolishness that the BBC is up to now. They are going after a knitter who created some Dr. Who patterns and was not selling them. Some fool put them up on Ebay as sales and now the Beeb has gone after [...]

]]> By: Des Burkinshaw http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163789 Des Burkinshaw Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:45 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163789 It's a heavy handed approach, as when someone gets threatened with bailiffs over a £15 bill. There are inconsistencies in the BBC approach to issues like this. Currently, for example, the BBC is working towards making all of its archive available digitally online. Why? Because it is publicly funded and the public has a right to view it. We fund it through the TV license therefore it belongs to us. You could argue that therefore we "the license fee paying public" also own the copyright on the characters. If the BBC disagrees then it needs to be even more hot on this. Say a child draws Dr Who on their exercise book and publishes that picture on their blog...what's the difference? All publicity is good publicity and the fact that someone came up with a pattern for a character is great. The number of people who want a hand knitted Oood character from Dr Who to scare their babies with is sure only very small? When I was a journalist on the Hackney Gazette many years ago, I remember covering a story about the Queen Elizabeth Children's hospital. Someone from Disney saw in a photo that someone had painted Disney characters on the walls of one of the wards. They sent a legal letter insisting they be taken down. And they were. Well done the BBC for acting in the same spirit. Dr Who only lives through its fans and the crazy things they do to live out that fantasy. Saying they can only do this if the BBC gets a percentage is Orwellian, naive and a bit dumb to be honest. It's too small scale to worry about. Perhaps you now might want to get down to some of the markets around the UK where you can get mass produced Chinese imported knock offs which really are affecting BBC income. I have friends at BBC Worldwide, but seriously, don't waste valuable staff time on sorting out issues that affect 15 people. It’s a heavy handed approach, as when someone gets threatened with bailiffs over a £15 bill.
There are inconsistencies in the BBC approach to issues like this.
Currently, for example, the BBC is working towards making all of its archive available digitally online. Why? Because it is publicly funded and the public has a right to view it. We fund it through the TV license therefore it belongs to us. You could argue that therefore we “the license fee paying public” also own the copyright on the characters.
If the BBC disagrees then it needs to be even more hot on this.
Say a child draws Dr Who on their exercise book and publishes that picture on their blog…what’s the difference?
All publicity is good publicity and the fact that someone came up with a pattern for a character is great. The number of people who want a hand knitted Oood character from Dr Who to scare their babies with is sure only very small?

When I was a journalist on the Hackney Gazette many years ago, I remember covering a story about the Queen Elizabeth Children’s hospital. Someone from Disney saw in a photo that someone had painted Disney characters on the walls of one of the wards. They sent a legal letter insisting they be taken down. And they were.
Well done the BBC for acting in the same spirit.

Dr Who only lives through its fans and the crazy things they do to live out that fantasy. Saying they can only do this if the BBC gets a percentage is Orwellian, naive and a bit dumb to be honest. It’s too small scale to worry about.

Perhaps you now might want to get down to some of the markets around the UK where you can get mass produced Chinese imported knock offs which really are affecting BBC income.

I have friends at BBC Worldwide, but seriously, don’t waste valuable staff time on sorting out issues that affect 15 people.

]]> By: Knitting in the News: A harlot, some men, and a big bully | Knitting Club http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163788 Knitting in the News: A harlot, some men, and a big bully | Knitting Club Thu, 15 May 2008 08:10:33 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163788 [...] and either go after all knitters who have posted Who-related designs or leave them all alone, and many others say the BBC is overreacting, especially since part of its charter says it is supposed to [...] [...] and either go after all knitters who have posted Who-related designs or leave them all alone, and many others say the BBC is overreacting, especially since part of its charter says it is supposed to [...]

]]> By: sylrayj http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163787 sylrayj Wed, 14 May 2008 21:20:02 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163787 I remember 23 years ago, knitting a 'Dr. Who' scarf for a friend. The pattern was in a magazine, if I remember right, and specified colours, numbers of rows for that colour, etc. There were lots and lots of patterns for extremely long scarves around at the time, and I did not hear of anyone being sued then for publishing the patterns. I am grateful that I haven't supported the BBC with their current version of the show, either in watching it or observing the ads which help pay for it. I feel disgusted that these patterns specifically were targeted, after such a decades-old precedent! I remember 23 years ago, knitting a ‘Dr. Who’ scarf for a friend. The pattern was in a magazine, if I remember right, and specified colours, numbers of rows for that colour, etc. There were lots and lots of patterns for extremely long scarves around at the time, and I did not hear of anyone being sued then for publishing the patterns.

I am grateful that I haven’t supported the BBC with their current version of the show, either in watching it or observing the ads which help pay for it. I feel disgusted that these patterns specifically were targeted, after such a decades-old precedent!

]]> By: Alexander Peter Kowalski http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163784 Alexander Peter Kowalski Wed, 14 May 2008 16:16:01 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163784 They tried to do that to myself, or rather IMPLIED it, in regards to this 100% FREE ScreenSaver I had created, here: ----- APK Doctor Who ScreenSaver 2008++ version 1.0: http://www.drwhodaily.com/community/index.php?s=2a8bc70641aac30bd8f424ee68c086fd&showtopic=386 ----- (It's multithreaded, single .scr monolithic executable that is self-protected vs. virus infection even, + internally "self-contains" the series intro. to playback for users, from RAM, not disk, for the best in efficiency) Initially, I even wrote them about it + OFFERED IT TO THEM TO PUT ON THEIR BBC SITE FOR THE SHOW. (& they asked me to send it their way on CD @ first, after I extolled its virtues)... After that? They said I was "in breach of copyright" & honestly? I was astounded! I am not out to "make a profit" by its creation, & was out to only give it away free, to other Doctor Who fans! (Will wonders NEVER cease!) APK They tried to do that to myself, or rather IMPLIED it, in regards to this 100% FREE ScreenSaver I had created, here:

—–

APK Doctor Who ScreenSaver 2008++ version 1.0:

http://www.drwhodaily.com/community/index.php?s=2a8bc70641aac30bd8f424ee68c086fd&showtopic=386

—–

(It’s multithreaded, single .scr monolithic executable that is self-protected vs. virus infection even, + internally “self-contains” the series intro. to playback for users, from RAM, not disk, for the best in efficiency)

Initially, I even wrote them about it + OFFERED IT TO THEM TO PUT ON THEIR BBC SITE FOR THE SHOW.

(& they asked me to send it their way on CD @ first, after I extolled its virtues)…

After that?

They said I was “in breach of copyright” & honestly?

I was astounded!

I am not out to “make a profit” by its creation, & was out to only give it away free, to other Doctor Who fans!

(Will wonders NEVER cease!)

APK

]]> By: james http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163783 james Wed, 14 May 2008 16:11:38 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163783 Is this the same BBC that I had to take to court to get money from after they copied dozens of drawings off my website and used them as news graphics? Is this the same BBC that then tried to claim they were a non-commercial organisation so they could do what they liked as the material they had pinched I license under the creative commons non commercial use license but settled just before court after four months of legal squirming and corporate BS? The BBC totally stinks. If people are commercially infringing the copyright you go after *them* and damages are set according to the harm done. The BBC could easily license their stuff under the correct creative commons license and that way people would be able to use it and they could still enforce their trademark. Is this the same BBC that I had to take to court to get money from after they copied dozens of drawings off my website and used them as news graphics? Is this the same BBC that then tried to claim they were a non-commercial organisation so they could do what they liked as the material they had pinched I license under the creative commons non commercial use license but settled just before court after four months of legal squirming and corporate BS?

The BBC totally stinks. If people are commercially infringing the copyright you go after *them* and damages are set according to the harm done. The BBC could easily license their stuff under the correct creative commons license and that way people would be able to use it and they could still enforce their trademark.

]]> By: Hutchie http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/05/08/bbc-removes-doctor-who-fans-knitting-patterns-from-the-web/#comment-163781 Hutchie Wed, 14 May 2008 15:05:07 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=521#comment-163781 My own opinion is that the BBC would be correct to target Ebay sellers and anyone attempting to make a profit from their intellectual property, as is their right. Unfortunately rather than do this actively, they have chosen the easy option of attacking a person whose only 'crime' is she has the imagination and flare to design knitted patterns and make them available not for profit, based on Dr Who characters. What the BBC is doing is almost analogous to the farcical notion that all manufacturers of DVD recorders, computers, etc should be told to stop producing them. After all those devices can and are used to record and distribute copyrighted material. In fact what happens, correctly, is that people who misuse these devices for their own profit get targeted. The history behind this case is that the BBC were more than likely informed about the knitting pattern by a disgruntled Ebay seller who was reported to Ebay by the knitting designer for selling her pattern. She has never sold this pattern and was giving away for FREE to fellow knitters. Oh and a note about parody Josh. Perhaps seeing as the reported issue was about publishing a design (unless the BBC effects department used knitted patterns) BASED on an image on Dr Who that was published (NOT SOLD FOR PROFIT) on a website I suggest that you ought to read the initial story a little more carefully before subjecting us to your 'informed' comment. Regards My own opinion is that the BBC would be correct to target Ebay sellers and anyone attempting to make a profit from their intellectual property, as is their right. Unfortunately rather than do this actively, they have chosen the easy option of attacking a person whose only ‘crime’ is she has the imagination and flare to design knitted patterns and make them available not for profit, based on Dr Who characters.

What the BBC is doing is almost analogous to the farcical notion that all manufacturers of DVD recorders, computers, etc should be told to stop producing them. After all those devices can and are used to record and distribute copyrighted material. In fact what happens, correctly, is that people who misuse these devices for their own profit get targeted.

The history behind this case is that the BBC were more than likely informed about the knitting pattern by a disgruntled Ebay seller who was reported to Ebay by the knitting designer for selling her pattern. She has never sold this pattern and was giving away for FREE to fellow knitters.

Oh and a note about parody Josh. Perhaps seeing as the reported issue was about publishing a design (unless the BBC effects department used knitted patterns) BASED on an image on Dr Who that was published (NOT SOLD FOR PROFIT) on a website I suggest that you ought to read the initial story a little more carefully before subjecting us to your ‘informed’ comment.

Regards

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