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# Automattic & a student journalist sue PR for DCMA takedown damages
- URL: https://onemanandhisblog.com/2014/06/dcma-journalism-copyright-automattic/
- Published: 2014-06-16T11:17:19.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-08T16:16:55.000Z
- Author: Adam Tinworth
- Tags: Automattic, copyright, DCMA, digital journalism, WordPress

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, is teaming with a student journalist to sue a “Straight Rights” organisation’s press officer for [abusing the DMCA takedown process](http://torrentfreak.com/wordpress-demands-10000-dmca-takedown-abuse-140615/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com):

> Hotham wrote an article about “Straight Pride UK” which included a comment he received from the organization’s press officer Nick Steiner. The latter didn’t like the article Hotham wrote, and after publication Steiner sent WordPress a takedown notice claiming it was infringing on his copyrights.
> 
> Through a lawsuit filed in a California federal court, WordPress and Hotham now hope to be compensated for the damage this abuse caused them.

Essentially, the press officer for [Straight Pride UK disliked the tone of the article](http://oliverhotham.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/the-sordid-tale-of-how-i-was-censored-by-straight-pride-uk/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), and used the fact he was quoted in it to trigger a DCMA takedown. At no point was actual copyright violated.

This is fascinating for two reasons:

1. The obvious one: Here’s a major content-hosting company fighting back against vexatious, politically-motivated abuses of copyright law.
2. Here’s a student journalist using a blog to aggressively “do” journalism in public, and creating an impact as a result. Too many students journalists – even those on journalism-specific courses – seem to be reluctant to take the initiative and publish themselves with the tools available.