Dear Mr Press

By your own advice, quotations of 39 to 79 words from Associated Press stories may be a breach of copyright liable to legal action. You are now selling “quotation licenses” valued at $12.50 for excerpts of 5-25 words. As such, I point out three Associated Press stories published this day:

House to vote on war funds, unemployment benefits, by Andrew Taylor

• Sen. John Boehner, 25 words quoted
• Mr Jim Nussle, 17 words quoted
• Rep. Dennis Cardoza, 10 words quoted

Small towns suffer big losses as rivers rise, by Allen G. Breed

• Mayor Don Giltner, 21 words quoted
• Mr Tony Dye, 13 words quoted
• Ms Trina Gabeline, 46 words quoted
• Mr Jon Fye, 28 words quoted

Gaza truce takes hold, skepticism abounds, by Ibrahim Barzak

• Mr Eman Mahmoud, 40 words quoted
• A Hamas email, 8 words quoted
• Mr Sami Abu Zuhri, 7 words quoted
• Mr Nafez Azzam, 10 words quoted
• Mr Mark Regev, 5 words quoted
• Mr Tal Mahatzili, 42 words quoted
• Mr Gordon Johndroe, 50 words quoted

These are just three of the thousands of stories Associated Press releases every day. Clearly it is not feasible for AP to pay each and every quoted source for their words. Following your own example, Talking Squid has negotiated a pro rata agreement with the journalism group Reporters Whose Initials Are A.P., which represents A.P.s working in journalism worldwide. We have agreed that every AP report published shall be subject to a very reasonable $5.00 fee payable to the Talking Squid Global Hypocrisy Levy which supports freedom of speech, the protection of journalists’ rights, and other Enlightenment values.

Talking Squid would either like to thank you in advance for your generosity or, failing that, to extend our sympathies for the next time you look at yourself in a mirror.

Hat tip: Making Light

Tags: ap, associated press, copyright, takedown