Short Quotes Not Fair Use? Associated Press Sends Take-Down Letter to Drudge Retort

The Associated Press has sent the Drudge Retort a DMCA take-down letter demanding that 6 posts and one comment with short quotes from AP articles be removed from the site.

Negative reaction from bloggers and others against what was viewed as an assault on fair use was swift, resulting in a TechCrunch ban on AP story use, a broader AP ban by bloggers, and a wave of criticism.

As a result, AP decided to halt further action against other Weblogs until new guidelines could be established, but it has not withdrawn its letter the Drudge Retort.

Read more about it at: "Associated Press Digs Its Own Grave Deeper; Wants to Create Its Own Fair Use Rules," "The Associated Press to Set Guidelines for Using Its Articles in Blogs," "AP Rethinking Policy After Drudge Retort DMCA Takedowns," "AP Takes Action against Community News Website over Copyright Violation," "AP Wants Change in Blog Excerpting, Just Not Sure What," "DMCA Takedown Tiff Not a Battle the AP Should Be Fighting," "Netroots' Bloggers Boycott of Associated Press Is Working," and "Welcome to the Web Refactory, AP."