C-SPAN Gives Speaker Pelosi a Free Pass on Copyright Violations

Change font size:  A |  A

Well, even though Pelosi is getting let off the hook for violating the law, we in the Blogosphere are gaining a new ability: to re-broadcast C-SPAN video without fear of copyright violations.

C-SPAN alters copyright over Pelosi flap

WASHINGTON - It turns out that Republicans were right: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did violate C-SPAN's copyright by using its televised footage on her blog promoting Democrats.

Officials for the cable TV network that provides daily gavel-to-gavel coverage of House and Senate proceedings at first said the blog was in violation, then announced it wasn't. On Wednesday, they said that it was but that they're changing their policy so that it won't be in the future.

The new copyright policy will allow non-commercial Internet users to share and post C-SPAN video as long as they attribute it to the public service channel.

So, now Bloggers can use C-SPAN video. That can't be anything but good. C-SPAN's president belatedly pulling Pelosi's fat out of the fire actually did us a good turn for a change.

"Given our background and our history, an open approach is the most consistent with our mission," said Rob Kennedy, C-SPAN's president. "We are now saying under the new policy that that will be OK, for her or any blogger or citizen journalist" to post C-SPAN video online.

Good going C-SPAN. Even though it was a free pass for a lawbreaker, this turns out well for all.

One thing, though. Do you think C-SPAN would've given any Republican such a generous pass?

Well, maybe.

But likely?