"Dr Who" Knitted Puppet Scandal Rocks the BBC!

HarryT · 05-14-2008, 07:24 AM

Another triumph for copyright law over evil unscrululous money-grabbing profiteers:

Quote:

A Doctor Who fan is embroiled in a row with the BBC after she published knitting patterns for the sci-fi drama's monsters on the internet.

The patterns of Ood and Adipose were removed from her website after the BBC's commercial arm complained that they breached its copyright.

But the woman said the corporation was "making an example of her".

BBC Worldwide said it acted because finished figures were being sold by others on auction website eBay.

It also denied threatening legal action and said it had offered to consider marketing the designs itself.

For more details, see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7400268.stm

Sparrow · 05-14-2008, 07:45 AM

Typical BBC arrogance

Isn't their telly tax enough of an insult?

Time to knit a dalek cozy?

k2r · 05-14-2008, 08:52 AM

> some unscrupulous people taking these patterns and
> using them on eBay to make profit for themselves.
> Unfortunately, we had to get to the source of the patterns
> - and that was her website."

So because SOMEONE sells her knitting patterns she gives away for free on ebay they make her delete her website by threatening to exterminate her.

"And Doctor Who is massive for the BBC. It's up to us to earn money from it so we can re-invest it in the BBC," he said.

Yes, the Doctor is massive, so why not destroy the magic of it by acting like a Dalek...

Morons.
They managed to give the Doctor Who universe a bad reputation for me.

k2r.

mores · 05-14-2008, 09:10 AM

Great. I'll rob people and whack them with baseball bats now, because, after all, the baseball bat makers enabled me to do it! Let them go to jail!

hooray! Finally!

Steven Lyle Jordan · 05-14-2008, 09:21 AM

A good example of closing the barn door after the horses have run off. It's the eBay sellers who are really at fault, and they already have her designs. What good does shutting down Mazzmatazz accomplish? None, really. Still, they were copywritten designs, so she should have known not to post them.

So what's next? Posting schematics for Dalek drones?

Shaggy · 05-14-2008, 09:31 AM

This is a trademark issue, it has nothing to do with copyright law.

HarryT · 05-14-2008, 09:34 AM

It's actually all covered by the same law in the UK - the "Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act" of 1988, which means that people do tend to get them mixed up.

Shaggy · 05-14-2008, 10:14 AM

I'll take your word for it, I'm not familiar with the UK versions of these laws

Still, this isn't a copyright case, it's a trademark case. I dont' see where the woman being discussed actually did anything illegal, the knitting patterns are not copyrighted. I guess the BBC doesn't either since they say that they haven't threatened legal action against her. From what I can see, the only people who are breaking the law are the Ebay sellers. They're being accused of violating trademark law since they're selling Doctor Who items without a license. You'd think the BBC would go after them instead, and leave the woman alone.

BTW, they must have edited the article on their website. One of the sentences you quoted in your original post actually says "The patterns of Ood and Adipose were removed from her website after the BBC's commercial arm complained that they breached its trademarks." The word copyright doesn't appear anywhere in the article.

HarryT · 05-14-2008, 10:18 AM

Mine was a direct quote from the web site so, as you say, it looks as if someone's realised it was wrong and edited it.

Shaggy · 05-14-2008, 10:22 AM

Yeah, when I was looking at it the main article said "trademarks", but if I clicked on the "printable version" link it still said "copyright". Now the printable version is saying "trademarks" too. I assume the mistake was pointed out to them and they're editing the article.

Elsi · 05-14-2008, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Yeah, when I was looking at it the main article said "trademarks", but if I clicked on the "printable version" link it still said "copyright". Now the printable version is saying "trademarks" too. I assume the mistake was pointed out to them and they're editing the article.

And, since there's no actual printed version (as in a proper newspaper such as the Times), there will be no evidence that the mistake had been made. Oh for the good old days when a newspaper had to print a retraction or correction.

Hmmm... wonder if this "news" was included in any broadcasts where there might be a recording for posterity?

igorsk · 05-14-2008, 12:24 PM

Ministry of Truth at work?

HarryT · 05-14-2008, 12:25 PM

It's on all the BBC Radio news programmes - kind of the "comic item of the day".

evil_bunny · 05-14-2008, 12:43 PM

I know I could be wrong...but what does this have to do with eBooks?

HarryT · 05-14-2008, 01:09 PM

Copyright issues appear to be of great interest to members of this forum, and this is an amusing copyright case (or appeared to be until the story was edited to say "trademark" rather than copyright). Please feel free to ignore it if it's of no interest. Just a bit of light-hearted fun.

05-14-2008, 10:14 AM	#8
Shaggy Wizard Posts: 4,293 Karma: 529619 Join Date: May 2007 Device: iRex iLiad, DR800SG	I'll take your word for it, I'm not familiar with the UK versions of these laws Still, this isn't a copyright case, it's a trademark case. I dont' see where the woman being discussed actually did anything illegal, the knitting patterns are not copyrighted. I guess the BBC doesn't either since they say that they haven't threatened legal action against her. From what I can see, the only people who are breaking the law are the Ebay sellers. They're being accused of violating trademark law since they're selling Doctor Who items without a license. You'd think the BBC would go after them instead, and leave the woman alone. BTW, they must have edited the article on their website. One of the sentences you quoted in your original post actually says "The patterns of Ood and Adipose were removed from her website after the BBC's commercial arm complained that they breached its trademarks." The word copyright doesn't appear anywhere in the article. Last edited by Shaggy; 05-14-2008 at 10:19 AM.

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05-14-2008, 07:45 AM	#2
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Typical BBC arrogance Isn't their telly tax enough of an insult? Time to knit a dalek cozy?

05-14-2008, 08:52 AM	#3
k2r Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 177 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bochum, Germany Device: MP2K, iLiad	> some unscrupulous people taking these patterns and > using them on eBay to make profit for themselves. > Unfortunately, we had to get to the source of the patterns > - and that was her website." So because SOMEONE sells her knitting patterns she gives away for free on ebay they make her delete her website by threatening to exterminate her. "And Doctor Who is massive for the BBC. It's up to us to earn money from it so we can re-invest it in the BBC," he said. Yes, the Doctor is massive, so why not destroy the magic of it by acting like a Dalek... Morons. They managed to give the Doctor Who universe a bad reputation for me. k2r.

05-14-2008, 09:10 AM	#4
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	Great. I'll rob people and whack them with baseball bats now, because, after all, the baseball bat makers enabled me to do it! Let them go to jail! hooray! Finally!

05-14-2008, 09:21 AM	#5
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	A good example of closing the barn door after the horses have run off. It's the eBay sellers who are really at fault, and they already have her designs. What good does shutting down Mazzmatazz accomplish? None, really. Still, they were copywritten designs, so she should have known not to post them. So what's next? Posting schematics for Dalek drones?

05-14-2008, 09:31 AM	#6
Shaggy Wizard Posts: 4,293 Karma: 529619 Join Date: May 2007 Device: iRex iLiad, DR800SG	This is a trademark issue, it has nothing to do with copyright law.

05-14-2008, 09:34 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It's actually all covered by the same law in the UK - the "Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act" of 1988, which means that people do tend to get them mixed up.

05-14-2008, 10:18 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Mine was a direct quote from the web site so, as you say, it looks as if someone's realised it was wrong and edited it.

05-14-2008, 10:22 AM	#10
Shaggy Wizard Posts: 4,293 Karma: 529619 Join Date: May 2007 Device: iRex iLiad, DR800SG	Yeah, when I was looking at it the main article said "trademarks", but if I clicked on the "printable version" link it still said "copyright". Now the printable version is saying "trademarks" too. I assume the mistake was pointed out to them and they're editing the article.

05-14-2008, 12:24 PM	#12
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Ministry of Truth at work?

05-14-2008, 12:25 PM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It's on all the BBC Radio news programmes - kind of the "comic item of the day".

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05-14-2008, 12:43 PM	#14
evil_bunny Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SoCal, US Device: Kobo Aura, Sony T1, iPhone 5S, iPad 3rd Gen	I know I could be wrong...but what does this have to do with eBooks?

05-14-2008, 01:09 PM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Copyright issues appear to be of great interest to members of this forum, and this is an amusing copyright case (or appeared to be until the story was edited to say "trademark" rather than copyright). Please feel free to ignore it if it's of no interest. Just a bit of light-hearted fun.