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Copyright

by Mike Masnick

Fri, Aug 10th 2012 2:15pm




Filed Under:
copyright, exclusive license

Companies:
craigslist


Craigslist Realizes It Went Too Far, No Longer Requires Exclusive License To Your Posts

from the non-exclusive dept

We've been noting some questionable behavior on the part of Craigslist lately, including its change in policy in which it tried to claim an exclusive license to everything you post on the site. This was of dubious legality already, and it appears that Craigslist has realized that it was going way too far. It's now dropped the exclusivity requirement, though has remained (typically) quiet about its thinking. Hopefully this is a sign that the company is actually paying attention to the public outcry about its recent bullying techniques. Craigslist (and Craig himself) have such a great reputation for being "good" players on the internet, it would be a shame if they hurt their reputation with moves that are so antithetical to the open internet.

11 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    Aaron deOliveira, Aug 10th, 2012 @ 2:29pm

    going the way of the classifieds

    craigslist is ripening for disruption. several different attempts have been made to build value on top of it. pretty soon someone will find enough value to build a new platform that accepts these value builders.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    icon
    SujaOfJauhnral (profile), Aug 10th, 2012 @ 2:36pm

    Re: going the way of the classifieds

    Hurry up is all I can say. Between this and Ebay taxing the shit out of everything I'm dying for a better place to list stuff on.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    icon
    :Lobo Santo (profile), Aug 10th, 2012 @ 2:40pm

    Re: Re: going the way of the classifieds

    (Not to sound like an advert, but...)

    Have you seen bidkat? You could put up a "for sale" page and then throw around links to it on twitter or facebook or... craigslist.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    icon
    Get off my cyber-lawn! (profile), Aug 10th, 2012 @ 3:39pm

    PIMP

    is what CL would have been if it continued to demand sole rights to all the sex posts on there!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Aug 10th, 2012 @ 5:06pm

    I hearby retract my previous "Fuck you craiglist" position.

    /Still stand firm on "fuck you whale"

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Aug 10th, 2012 @ 5:07pm

    Re:

    Also LOLing at the "Craigslist now has something valueable to protect so they have to be dickbags" guy.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Aug 10th, 2012 @ 5:41pm

    Safe Harbour

    They have to do this, otherwise they would lose their DMCA safe harbour. If they actually did get an exclusive license for users' content, then that would amount to taking ownership of the copyright in the content, then they lose their DMCA safe harbour. That did not actually happen because transfers of copyright ownership have to be in writing. However, they were skating on thin ice.

    They have wisely decided to put the matter of safe harbour back to a safe place.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), Aug 11th, 2012 @ 1:18am

    Of course one is left to wonder why they don't look at the best of the best apps/sites that make "their" content more useful and look at acquiring it.

    It almost seems like CL is heading down the path laid out by lawyers, where what they have done is sacred and needs no improvement whatsoever, to suggest change or make change is an attack on an icon!

    Evolve or die... accept that people can build upon what you created and make it better. Fighting to stop them wastes time and money, and makes you less useful to users... and well your business isn't exactly rocket science.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    icon
    PCCare247 (profile), Aug 11th, 2012 @ 2:41am

    Downfall of Craigslist...!!

    Achieving a position and maintaining that position are both important. Looks like Craigslist is struggling to do the latter one.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    notbob, Aug 11th, 2012 @ 8:57am

    Silly

    Funny how everyone sees it as a keyhole, as opposed to what it actually is, an "open" break in a closed circle, or an O, if you will. Regardless, I think it's quite a clever symbol. But, for the OSI to go after OSHWA is just plain silly. What's next? Capital C is going to sue capital G for infringement?

    nb

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Aug 11th, 2012 @ 10:30am

    Re: Silly

    On the wrong article you have commented

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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