By now, most know about the AP’s new project to charge bloggers and other linkers $12.50 to $100 for excerpts, based on number of words.
Now, everyone thinks that the AP is shooting itself in the foot. I disagree. Why? Because, in fact, this whole kerfuffle is actually a conspiracy between Dubya and Howie “Scream” Dean, designed to bring left and right bloggers together and create harmony. Just look at the players who are on the same page. Can you imagine Michelle Malkin, Markos Moulitos, Charles Johnson, and Crooks and Liars all taking the same “bite me!” stance?
You have bloggers all over the board, from large to medium to small, all tell the AP to go f*ck itself. Some say they will use the AP stuff and take their chances, some say, “why bother? There are other good sources.” We have folks like the Gun Toting Liberal, bRight&Early, Q&O, The Mahablog, snapped shot, and The Moderate Voice all inviting the AP to visit the land where the Sun don’t shine.
Patterico finds something interesting: Irony Alert: AP Attacks Blogs for Quoting Their Stories, Then Quotes Even More Extensively from Blogs.
BTW, I hate to give props to Kos, but, he is apparently a specialist in media law. Let’s see if the AP wants to take him on, or will continue to pick on smaller bloggers.
More at Memeorandum.
The Associated Press (AP) Versus The Blogosphere Proves Bloggers Are Winning The Battle For The Title Of “The Press” Our Founders Risked Their Lives To Protect…
A Desparate Associated Press (AP) Seeks To Charge Bloggers For Quoting Portions Of Their MOSTLY Worthless And Biased (So-Called) “Articles’
INTERESTING. The Associated Press seems to have no problem at all with grabbing my PUBLICLY syndica…
I had not heard about this. It’s amazing that the left and the right side of the blogosphere can actually agree on something.
Yup, this is the type of thing that transends politics, since they are screwing with our ability to blog.