CBS Files Copyright Claim Against Itself
February 15, 2011 
Author 
In Well you can’t make this stuff up. A CBS reporter embedded a video of one of their own pieces of content onto a CBS-owned web property. Only to have it soon yanked down by lawyers (or lawyer-bots – AKA auto-DMCA patrol). A Redditor got a screengrab of this gem before CBS edited the post:
Now the post reads, simply: Video of this incident is no longer available on YouTube. Much less embarassing than the original above, but of course too late to fix. The comments on the post are also quite amusing, with enough readers seeing it to generate a few reactions.
Seems like CBS was unwilling or unable to provide their own version of the clip for the web due to self-imposed (and self-restricting) rules, forcing their own reporter to upload a YouTube version. Or perhaps this reporter stumbled-upon the video on their own and decided to upload to the CBS blog because they weren’t able to easily find and embed a version hosted by their own company. Kind of absurd, if CBS is upset about the YouTube version they should easily be able to swap it out for one they host.
Either way you have to laugh at the world we live in when media companies are filing copyright claims against themselves. Rather than continue playing the infinite game of digital whack a mole, making themselves look bad and annoying their own fans (and own reporters!) perhaps it’s time they change their mindset to embrace the natural propagation of their content. Seems like it might be smarter to redesign their model and put the web to work for themselves instead of fighting it.
In other news: dog bites own tail.
David Akermanis replied | Feb 15, 2011 (1 comment)
Not that I’d give CBS this much credit, but maybe they took the clips down to protect the reporter’s privacy. She is an employee of CBS is she not?
Adam Singer replied | Feb 15, 2011 (597 comments)
Don’t understand how that protects anyone’s privacy. It’s a reporter covering another story already broadcast on the same channel. Everything was already public.
TheReviewer replied | Feb 16, 2011 (6 comments)
Hopefully it’ll put itself into bankruptcy
John Akerson replied | Feb 16, 2011 (1 comment)
Reminds me of Coke suing Coke Zero because of “taste infringement…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8YgrqUCVU
Robert Ortiz replied | Feb 16, 2011 (2 comments)
I get the humor of this incident. What’s not funny is the slightly over-done sensationalist buzz seeking by the title of some lines within (e.g. “Either way you have to laugh at the world we live in when media companies are filing copyright claims against themselves)
The fact of this matter is, and you do cover that, CBS laid a copyright claim against material on You Tube while one of its employees used a You Tube video on the CBS blog. While you could stretch this out and make an “Ouruboros” moniker stick—its way to specious a claim to say “CBS Files Copyright Claim Against Itself”
I’m navigating your blog because you’ve a reputation for insightful SM posts. This incident is a rich enough source for an insightful post without employing Fox News Headline strategy.
just one guy’s opinion here, but this is one strike against you.
Adam Singer replied | Feb 16, 2011 (597 comments)
Fair enough Robert, appreciate the feedback. Also I borrowed the headline from Reddit – thought it was clever — but technically you are correct, it is CBS filing a Copyright claim against YouTube (and against themselves by transitive property). Techdirt noted this too: http://goo.gl/UyNqi