The @Deadspin account on Twitter saw a short phase of darkness starting Monday as the social networking giant temporarily suspended the user because of sharing of GIFs and video footage of sports highlights without permission. The account has now been reactivated though but many other accounts have faced similar instances. An example could be the @SBNationGIF account which is still suspended as of yet.
Twitter had forcibly removed content from the @Deadspin account’s feeds following complaints by National Football League (NFL) that the account was violating its copyrights. @SBNationGIF was censored for sharing college football content.
A Twitter spokesperson shared the following notice, with VentureBeat, on behalf of the NFL, requesting the removal of copyrighted content:
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is to notify you, pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. 512 et seq., and other applicable statutes and laws in your jurisdiction, that your website is infringing copyrighted materials owned and/or controlled by the National Football League (NFL).
As you may be aware, the NFL owns and/or controls the worldwide rights to license intellectual property of the NFL and its Member Clubs, including, but not limited to, moving images and other audio/video content featuring NFL game action and/or other NFL programming (collectively, “NFL Content”), and the copyrights in and to the NFL Content.
The NFL Content displayed and/or disseminated on the website https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CP7qNG4WsAAR_xL.mp4 is being displayed and/or disseminated without the permission or authorization of the NFL.
Accordingly, the NFL requests that you act expeditiously to disable access to the unauthorized videos being displayed and/or disseminated on the web pages listed below and remove its contents from view.
Twitter Video: https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CP7qNG4WsAAR_xL.mp4
I hereby state that the NFL owns and/or controls the rights referenced above and that NetResult Solutions is authorized to act on the NFL’s behalf with respect to internet monitoring, enforcement, and compliance.
On behalf of the NFL, I hereby state that I have a good faith belief that use of the NFL Content in the manner complained of is not authorized by the NFL, its agents, or the law.
