The criticism that Ralph Lauren doesn't want you to see!
The picture is freaky. And though IANAL, it seems like fair use to me....
Last month, Xeni blogged about the photoshop disaster that is this Ralph Lauren advertisement, in which a model's proportions appear to have been altered to give her an impossibly skinny body ("Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis"). Naturally, Xeni reproduced the ad in question. This is classic fair use: a reproduction "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting," etc.
However, Ralph Lauren's marketing arm and its law firm don't see it that way. According to them, this is an "infringing image," and they thoughtfully took the time to send a DMCA takedown notice to our awesome ISP, Canada's Priority Colo. One of the things that makes Priority Colo so awesome is that they don't automatically act on DMCA takedowns. Instead, they pass them on to us and we talk about whether they pass the giggle-test.
This one doesn't.
So, instead of responding to their legal threat by suppressing our criticism of their marketing images, we're gonna mock them. Hence this post.
As Wendy Seltzer from the Chilling Effects project said, "Sounds like a pretty solid fair use case to me. If criticism diminishes its effectiveness, that's different from the market substitution copyright protects against. And I've rarely seen a thinner DMCA form-letter."
So, to Ralph Lauren, GreenbergTraurig, and PRL Holdings, Inc: sue and be damned. Copyright law doesn't give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings. You should know better.
I guess Ralph Lauren et al didn't have any handy tiger cages to jump into. Seriously, who sends a DMCA takedown notice to BoingBoing?
I am pinned down by a cat. Rosie has a odd, but normally quiet purr. Right now she sounds like she's gargling.
Hee!! I love cats' weird noises. Amarna was snoring in my arms last night, a very distinct nasal snore. Other than that, she meows.
I've got to get my mp3 player's microphone figured out so I can record how she sounds when she jumps on top of me and stands with her back paws on my stomach and her front paws on alternating shoulders while she paces from side to sidea and meows at the top of her lungs for a minute or so until she curls up on my chest for skritches. I tend to egg her on.
What are people having for dinner?
I want Thai food, or sushi.
Tom, can we go get sushi while you are here?
What are people having for dinner?
hub's birthday dinner: [link]
Owen announced that he wanted Mexican from El Mezcal. Since he's not been eating due to sickness, DH ran out and got a full takeout order with chicken chimichangas and cheese quesadillas.
Poor noodle ate like he hasn't had food in a week.
What are people having for dinner?
Lemon chicken orzo soup, maybe with some toasted cheese on rye.
Dinner depends on what I find at the store.
I just placed an order for all of my fall/winter clothes--yay! I was worried about finding the right pair of boots for my size 12 Wide feet, but got a pair with just the right height (tall enough to repel a decent amount of snow, not too tall to have my fat calves get in the way; 9 inches should be fine) and very low heels (there's a stocky 1 1/2 inch heel, but that's it). Very utilitarian, just what I was looking for. And with a coupon for 30% off!
That, combined with two sweaters and three shirts, and a fall/spring corduroy jacket that I've been needing for a few years now, should take care of everything for the year.
