Cease and Desist letters MUST be sent to those stations running the Ayers ad.

[WeDidIt]

The group that did the Weather Underground documentary that has had their intellectual property rights violated with the Ayers ad needs to start sending Cease and Desist letters to each and every television station running the Ayers ad. They have standing to demand damages in the amount that each station received for the ad plus punitive damages. The stations are profitting from the theft of this group's intellectual property. Any station running the ad is a content thief and no better than people stealing music or movies on the internet.

[Enrique]

1. it's probably covered by fair use

using footage from a documentary seems to be the same as using footage from a TV news channel, which sems pretty common in attack ads.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

2. Not showing it here

in thoroughly Blue city, George Bush Sr.'s "Little Beirut", Portland, Oregon.

HOWEVER . . .

I did see the ad the other day when watching a producer fuckup at Faux Nooz. The reporter was speaking about another ad and ran some video (the wrong video). The newscasters looked confused and sheepish, although it also felt like they were giving national airtime for a McCain ad made for specific markets.

Katie Couric and Co. did the same thing the other night.

Mistakes? I think not.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. Well , maybe. But I think it's kind of a convoluted legal strategy....

... for progressive people to get involved in at this point.

Apparently, it's legal ( leaving aside the merits of the intellectual property rights violation argument) for stations to run any campaign ad no matter how dirty or dishonest it is... and may even be required due to court interpretations of first amendment as it pertains to broadcast ads. I had this exchange here recently w. someone here.

A better way to proceed, imo, is to reply in kind. There is all kinds of stuff about McCain that has been ... up to now... off limits. When dealing with GOP, *nothing* should be off limits.

Obama will look foolish if he starts trying to squelch the Ayers ad. It will also help Ayers resonate as a (non) issue. OTOH, Obama will gain credibility with swing voters if he replies tit for tat.

We don't need to lose another presidential election 'cause we won't go where the other side is always willing to go. I'm not sure swing voters really care or understand about our notions of campaign ethics or high-mindedness. They expect someone in a bar fight to hit back .