For those followers that use Twitter you will know that there are some games you can play, like activating some "Bots" ,One of my favorite was the "Tweet Theft" Bot, well its gone a step further now according to this site stealing tweets is now illegal , it says :
"KUWAIT-Although Twitter users have always shared their thoughts and
opinions through the social network “Twitter”, but this has not stopped
Kuwait from enforcing restrictions bringing violators to an end.
According to Al-Qabas Newspaper, the Intellectual Property Law No. (5)
issued in Kuwait for the year 1999 will be applied on Twitter users
stealing tweets without gaining permission from the rightful owner."
While this seems petty and amusing, But it has wider threat, once the state curtails our freedom of speech then we live in a state without freedom to challenge, mock, offend.
I could go on for ages about my passion for free speech and state power but i think most of you know my wider thoughts on that.
I will sum it up in one sentence :
"I may detest what you say, but i will defend to the death your right to say it"
Via LeCreusetFiend
How do you steal a tweet? By copying it and re-tweeting it as if it were yours? As far as I can see, legally a tweet is a publication, so if you do this without the author's permission you are plagiarising, and the ordinary sanctions against plagiarism apply.
ReplyDeleteAre tweets copyright? I dunno. And you'd probably have to pay a lawyer a fat sum to find out.
Also, is this really a case of freedom of speech? Copying someone else word for word has nothing to do with freedom.
"Copying someone else word for word has nothing to do with freedom."
ReplyDeleteIt is when the punished by the law.