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Next, Rick Astley Will Beg For Obscurity Again

April 21, 2010, 4:38 pm

Apparently the makers of the movie Downfall have demanded takedowns of all those various Hitler-speech parodies on YouTube using clips from the movie  (I linked to one here, which still seems to be up).

If this is true, it is stupid.  I really enjoyed Downfall, and likely would never have rented it had I not been exposed to it via YouTube parodies.

Update: Some meta parody.  Pretty dang funny.

Category: Movies & Entertainment
  • smurfy

    love the post title.

  • Captain Obviousness

    LOL... the meta parody video just about had me in tears, especially the line about Google being like the British in 1937.

  • Chris

    I was under the impression that parody was a fair use exemption to copyright claims.

  • Judge Fredd

    Had me in tears...

  • spiro

    "but tomorrow they'll forget about it and watch cat videos..." -- gut punch funny right there.

  • Earle Williams

    Chris,

    Parody is a fair use exepmtion in the U.S. The parody that Coyote links to would likely have a slam dunk defense on any copyright violation claim. The problem lies with all the other Downfall video parodies that make fun of other topics. The parody exemption applies only you are parodying the copyrighted work or the producer of that work. Using Downfall to parody Constantin AG is a fair use. Using Downfall to parody Obamacare or something else is not a fair use, although it sure is funny.

    Not a lawyer, just spent some time at groklaw.net :-)

    BTW, anyone check out this funny cat video?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUNmLuNdiL8