Gawker Sued Over Link to Leaked Tarantino Screenplay

Forum Moderators: not2easy

Message Too Old, No Replies

Gawker Sued Over Link to Leaked Tarantino Screenplay

engine

5:46 pm on Jan 28, 2014 (gmt 0)

I wonder how this one will stand up in court. The outcome may affect the thousands of websites that post links to news.

US director Quentin Tarantino has sued gossip website Gawker for contributory copyright infringement after it posted a link to a leaked screenplay.

A link to The Hateful Eight script remained on Gawker's Defamer blog on Monday despite demands from Tarantino's lawyers to take it down.

They argued the site had effectively cost him royalties he might earn from the eventual publication of the script.

But Gawker said posting a link was part of its job to provide information.Gawker Sued Over Link to Leaked Tarantino Screenplay [bbc.co.uk]

LifeinAsia

6:32 pm on Jan 28, 2014 (gmt 0)

Did Google pickup the link as well? Will he try suing Google?

martinibuster

8:44 pm on Jan 28, 2014 (gmt 0)

They didn't post a link to news. Gawker posted a link to the leaked script that Gawker had encouraged readers to send to them, the leaked script itself. It looks like Gawker probably uploaded the script.

On Jan. 22, Gawker "actively solicited" readers to submit the leaked script, the complaint alleges. The complaint further notes that there was "nothing newsworthy or journalistic" about Gawker's "facilitating and encouraging the public's violation" of Tarantino's copyright.

"Their headline boasts... 'Here,' not someplace else, but 'Here' on the Gawker website," the documents state. "The article then contains multiple direct links for downloading the entire screenplay through a conveniently anonymous URL by simply clicking button-links on the Gawker page, and brazenly encourages Gawker visitors to read the screenplay illegally with the invitation to 'Enjoy!' it."

[edited by: engine at 5:48 pm (utc) on Jan 29, 2014]
[edit reason] requested by martinibuster [/edit]