Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Wordpress.com has suspended my blog (+)

Apparently due to "a violation of the terms of service".

When the Glasgow terror plot I posted a photo in which it was clearly viewed the author of it, UNIVERSALNEWSANDSPORTS.COM, as you can see in the page in Google's cache.

This morning at 12:39 a.m. (Spanish time) I recieve this as a comment in the blog (no one has said nothing about it before and I could never imagine this could be a violation of property rights):

Ref: Copyright Infringement 18 September 2007

Dear http://toastedbread.wordpress.com

It has come to my attention that you have made an unauthorized use of UNS copyrighted work entitled Glasgow Airport Bomber (the "Work"). I have reserved all rights to this Work at http://www.universalnewsandsport.com. The picture of Glasgow Airport Bomber (A man arrested by police at Glasgow airport suffered severe burns), which appears on your web site :

http://toastedbread.wordpress.com/2007/07/02/two-more-held-over-bomb-attacks/

 is essentially identical to the Work and clearly used the Work as its basis. You neither asked for nor received permission to use the Work as the basis for Glasgow Airport Bomber ( Kafeel Ahmed) nor to make or distribute copies of it. Therefore, I believe you have wilfully infringed Universal News and Sport rights. Any reproduction of the image without permission is an illegal act under the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the Work, and all copies of it, and desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future. If I have not received an affirmative response from you by 20 September 2007 indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, I shall consider taking the full legal remedies available to rectify this situation.

Sincerely, Andy Parks Archive

Editor Pictures@universalnewsandsport.com www.universalnewsandsport.com +44 141 416 2066 The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee and access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UNDA Group. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. When addressed to our clients, any opinions, or advice contained in this email are subject to the terms and conditions expressed in the governing client engagement letter or contract. If you have received this email in error please notify the UNDA Group by telephone on: +44 (0) 141 416 2066.

As it is clearly stated, I needed to answer BEFORE Sept 20th, and today is 18th.

I have written this morning telling them that I have erased it and just after that, wordpress.com has suspended my blog, according to them, due to "violation in the conditions of the service" when I repeat, till this morning I knew nothing about any kind of infrigement. I never thought that the reproduction of a photo that clearly states the name of the author, with a link to the news where I have found it and in a blog with which I obtain no profit, should be allowed by the author. But in any case, they have given me no warning. 

I can't contact wordpress.com to tell them what has happened because there is no email account to protest or to obtain support from.

I apologise for the inconveniences. I am very angry about this, really.

(+) The blog is back again after I have received this mail from Wordpress.com:

he blog is back.
When we receive such notices we cannot wait, we are obliged to act.
We were not notified by the copyright holder that the situation was resolved.
I apologise for the inconvenience.

Well, as Infidelesto has mailed me:



 I’ve seen some really bad hate sites on wordpress and Wordpress has continually allowed these threatening murderous ant-semetic, anti-american websites to stay put.  And then they remove yours because of what? cause you used some guys photograph? Absurd!


Yes, it is absolutely absurd...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear this. It could happen to any of us, but to only give you two days notice to contact, and your blog has already been suspended. Sounds fishy to me.

Anonymous said...

There is one "service" I will avoid like the plague.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Wordpress is gonna have it's hands full shutting down ALL the blogs that allegedly violate some copyright law.

Sorry to hear this...

Anonymous said...

Try looking here

http://en.forums.wordpress.com/search.php?q=suspended

Try joining the forum and posting the topic

Anonymous said...

Oh sorry I see it's back now.

Just goes to show how pathetic and petty minded some people, and inevitably organisations, are.

Fucking ridiculous!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you're back in action, L. Vorzheva. I just discovered your excellent blog.
Incredible about Wordpress though. That's who I'm with. I thought blogger was bad.

Dinah Lord said...

Oh dear, Lady V-
Sorry to hear that you have been targeted by the photo police...you must have freaked out when you got the news. I agree 100% with poster Jonz about the actions of Wordpress. It's just crazy. And you'd think that this news service would have better things to do than chase down fully acknowledged stray pics, no?

Glad your suspension was temporary and that you are back in business.

Cheers - Dinah.

(P.S. I am slowly recovering from my move and getting back to business myself!)