Star's Edge Claims Newsgroup Posts Infringe (#7) -- Chilling Effects Clearinghouse

STAR'S EDGE INTERNATIONAL
[private]
[private] TEL
[private] FAX
[private]@AVATARHQ.COM E-MAIL

Google, Inc.
Attn: User Support, DMCA Complaints [private]
Mountain View, CA 94043
Fax: [private]

We recently learned of content available through the Google groups function which infringes our

Pursuant to the DMCA, the copyright owner respectfully requests that you remove the unauthorized,

subject of previous DMCA notices as it was previously posted by this same user. The location data

The message IDs for the infringing posts are
ceangb$21i$1@reader08.wxs.nl
ceb7sp$7e3$1@readerl0.wxs.nl
ce8bmq$dju$1@reader08.wxs.nl
cea9kg$j3m$1@reader08.wxs.nl

2nkcg054fo0rnvt2efakr3s0qsjl3g4oe@news.xs4all.nl
nrn2hOlheeh774p6hmkurn8h17ratc5ed1ff@news-xs4all.n1

0aq2h0tlh9rj3bmtq3qpoc678ngbhd2707@news.xs4all.nl
p7r2hO1shnklgfkodsilf5tasfOg34olb2@news.xs4all.nl
5t34h01tfie0tq1gommk50nuhlav3v2tg9@news.xs4all.nl
5v34hOdjrpan9u4r7rhg3lhc5rlm3rc2u@news.xs4all-nl
eO44hO59rblhhseu4go302pl1h7lugqkft@news.xs4all.nl
r244h0luOljsnpn06akaOpnn3edadh3lbu@news.xs4all.nl
4444hOdnef5cflpf6sr22sausprv8ja5pu@news.xs4all.nl

From: "[private]" [private]@wanadoo.nl
Newsgroups: nl.scientology
Subject: Harry Palmer the NUT or the CLONE of Hubbard
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:28:45 +0200
Organization: Planet Internet
Lines: 840
Message-ID: [private]@reader08.wxs.nl
NNTP-Posting-Host: ip91350020.speed.planet.nl
X-Trace: reader08.wxs.nl 1091101003 2098 145.53.0.32 (29 Jul2004 11:36:43 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: [private]@planet.nl
NNTP-Posting-Date: 29 Jul 2004 11:36:43 GMT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMai1-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1437
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800_1441

From: "[private]" [private]@wanadoo.nl
Newsgroups:
alt.religion.scientology,alt.clearing.scientology,de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology,alt.cle

aring.avatar
Subject: Look who is talking..
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 18:11:56 +0200
Organization: Planet Internet
Lines: 47
Message-ID: [private]@readerl0.wxs.nl
References: [private]@posting.google.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: ip91350020-speed.planet.nl
X-Trace: readerl0.wxs.nl 1091117785 7619 145.53.0.32 (29 Jul 2004 16:16:25 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: [private]@planet.nl
NNTP-Posting-Date: 29 Jul 2004 16:16:25 GMT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMaiI-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1437
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441

From: "[private]" [private]@wanadoo.nl
Newsgroups: nl.scientology
Subject: "Complete avatar course sections II & III"
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 15:54:59 +0200

08/05/04 004
Organization: Planet Internet
Lines: 700
Message-ID: [private]@reader08.wxs.nl
References: [private]@readerl0.wxs.nl
2nkcg054kfo0rnvt2efakr3s0qsjl3g4oe@news.xs4all.nl
NNTP-Posting-Host: ip91350020.speed.planet.nl
X-Trace: reader08.wxs.nl 1091023386 13950 145.53.0.32 (28 Jul 2004 14:03:06 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: [private]@planet.nl
NNTP-Posting-Date: 28 Jul 2004 14:03:06 GMT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMaiI-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0112800.1437
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441

From: "[private]" [private]@wanadoo.nl
Newsgroups: nl.scientology
Subject: Harry Palmer the NUT
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:32:14 +0200
Organization: Planet Internet
Lines: 839
Message-ID: [private]@reader08.wxs.nl
References: [private]@reader08.wxs-nl NNTP-Posting-Host: ip91350020.speed.planet.nl
X-Trace: reader08.wxs.nl 1091086810 19574 145.53.0.32 (29 Jul 2004 07:40:10 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: abuse@planet.nl
NNTP-Posting-Date: 29 Jul 2004 07:40:10 GMT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1437
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441

From: "[private]" [private]@wanadoo.nl
Newsgroups: nl.scientology
Subject: The Creation Handling Procedure of the Avatar(r) Course
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 00:22:59 +0200
Organization: Planet Internet
Lines: 208
Message-ID: [private]@readerl0.wxs.nl
NNTP-Posting-Host: ip91350020.speed.planet.nl
X-Trace: readerl0.wxs.nl 1090016770 13131 145.53.0.32 (16 Jul 2004 22:26:10 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: [private]@planetnl
NNTP-Posting-Date: 16 Jul2004 22:26:10 GMT
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1437
X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441

08/05/04 005
From: [private] [private]@xs4all.nl
Newsgroups: nl.scientology
Subject: "Complete avatar course sections II & III"
Followup-To: nl.scientology
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 15:04:36 +0200
Keywords: avatar, scientology
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-TD: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
References: [private]@readerl0.wxs.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Lines: 678
NNTP-Posting-Date: 27 Jul 2004 15:04:15 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.84.211.42
X-Trace: 1090933455 news.xs4all.nl 48933 [::ffff:213.84.211.42]:1565
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

From: [private]@xs4all.nl
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - 0: Table of Contents
Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 00:40:13 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-11): [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
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NNTP-Posting-Date: 05 Aug 2004 00:39:30 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.84.211.42
X-Trace: 1091659170 news.xs4all.nl 48959 [;;ffff:213.84.211.42]:1048
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

From: [private]@xs4all.nl
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [1] Your Invitation to Deliver
Avatar
Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 00:56:59 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology

08/05/04 006
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
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NNTP-Posting-Date: 05 Aug 2004 00:56:16 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.84.211.42
X-Tracc: 1091660176 news.xs4all.nl 48959 [::ffff:213.84.211.42]:1048
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

From: [private]@xs4al1.nl
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [2] The Importance of Goals
Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:12:43 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
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7bi t
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NNTP-Posting-Date: 05 Aug 2004 01:12:00 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213 M4.211.42
X-Trace: 1091661120 news.xs4all.nl 48959 [::ffff213.84.211.42]:1048
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4a11_nl

From: [private]@xs4all.nl Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [3] Questions for Goal Setting
and Planning
Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:45:52 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Lines: 40
NNTP-Posting-Date: 05 Aug 2004 12:45:08 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.84.211.42
X-Trace: 1 091 70270 8 news.xs4all.nl 6968 [::fffE213.84.211.42]:1094
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

From: [private]@xs4a11.n1
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [4] Criteria for Goal Evaluation

Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:46:32 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
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X-Trace: 1091702748 news.xs4all.nl 6968 [::ffff:213.84.211.42]:1094
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

From: [private]@xs4al].nl
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [5] Wasted Lives
Followup-To: alt.clearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:47:53 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.n1
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/31576 English (American)
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X-Trace: 1091702828 news.xs4all.nl 6968 [::ffff:213.84.211.42]:1094
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [6] The Elements of a Game
Followup-To: altclearing.avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:48:33 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-1D: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
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X-Trace: 1 09 1 702 869 news.xs4all.nl 6968 [::ffff:213.84111.42]:1094
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4alLnl

From: [private]@xs4all.nl
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.avatar
Subject: Avatar Master's Course - I: Behind the Scenes - [7] Speaking of Goals
Followup-To: altclearing_avatar
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:49:23 +0200
Keywords: avatar,master's course,harry palmer,scientology
Organization: Dutch BodyThetan Organization
Reply-To: [private]@xs4all.nl
Message-ID: [private]@news.xs4all.nl
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
MIME-Version: 1.0
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NNTP-Posting-Date: 05 Aug 2004 12:48:38 CEST
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.84.211.42
X-Trace: 1091702918 news.xs4all.nl 6968 [:: ffff:213.84.211.42] :1094
X-Complaints-To: [private]@xs4all.nl

I represent the copyright holder in this matter as his authorized agent. My address, telephone

Penny R. Phillips, Esquire
Star's Edge International
[private]
Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714
(407) [private]
E-mail: [private]@AvatarEPC.com

I have a good faith belief, and in fact know for certain, that the use of the copyrighted materials

is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. Pursuant to the DMCA, the

I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the above information in this notice is accurate and that I

If you require further information, let me know and I will provide it without delay. Thank you for

image

FAQ: Questions and Answers

[back to notice text]

Question: What is copyright protection?

Answer: A copyright protects a literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic, pictoral or graphic, audiovisual, or architectural work, or a sound recording, from being reproduced without the permision of the copyright owner. 17 U.S.C.

[back to notice text]

Question: What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?

Answer: The DMCA, as it is known, has a number of different parts. One part is the anticircumvention provisions, which make it illegal to "circumvent" a technological measure protecting access to or copying of a copyrighted work (see Anticircumvention (DMCA)). Another part gives web hosts and Internet service providers a "safe harbor" from copyright infringement claims if they implement certain notice and takedown procedures (see DMCA Safe Harbor).

[back to notice text]

Question: What are the DMCA Safe Harbor Provisions?

Answer: In 1998, Congress passed the On-Line Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act (OCILLA) in an effort to protect service providers on the Internet from liability for the activities of its users. Codified as section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), this new law exempts on-line service providers that meet the criteria set forth in the safe harbor provisions from claims of copyright infringement made against them that result from the conduct of their customers. These safe harbor provisions are designed to shelter service providers from the infringing activities of their customers. If a service provider qualifies for the safe harbor exemption, only the individual infringing customer are liable for monetary damages; the service provider's network through which they engaged in the alleged activities is not liable.

[back to notice text]

Question: What is copyright protection?

[back to notice text]

Question: What are the notice and takedown procedures for web sites?

Answer: In order to have an allegedly infringing web site removed from a service provider's network, or to have access to an allegedly infringing website disabled, the copyright owner must provide notice to the service provider with the following information:

The name, address, and electronic signature of the complaining party [512(c)(3)(A)(i)]
The infringing materials and their Internet location [512(c)(3)(A)(ii-iii)], or if the service provider is an "information location tool" such as a search engine, the reference or link to the infringing materials [512(d)(3)].
Sufficient information to identify the copyrighted works [512(c)(3)(A)(iv)].
A statement by the owner that it has a good faith belief that there is no legal basis for the use of the materials complained of [512(c)(3)(A)(v)].
A statement of the accuracy of the notice and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on the behalf of the owner [512(c)(3)(A)(vi)].

Once notice is given to the service provider, or in circumstances where the service provider discovers the infringing material itself, it is required to expeditiously remove, or disable access to, the material. The safe harbor provisions do not require the service provider to notify the individual responsible for the allegedly infringing material before it has been removed, but they do require notification after the material is removed.

[back to notice text]

Question: What constitutes copyright infringement?

Answer: Subject to certain defenses, it is copyright infringement for someone other than the author to do the following without the author's permission:

1. reproduce (copy) the work;

2. create a new work derived from the original work (for example, by translating the work into a new language, by copying and distorting the image, or by transferring the work into a new medium of expression);

3. sell or give away the work, or a copy of the work, for the first time (but once the author has done so, the right to sell or give away the item is transferred to the new owner. This is known as the "first sale" doctrine: once a copyright owner has sold or given away the work or a copy of it, the recipient or purchaser may do as she pleases with what she posesses.) 17 U.S.C. ?109(a);

4. perform or display the work in public without permission from the copyright owner. 17 U.S.C. ?106. It is also copyright infringement to violate the "moral rights" of an author as defined by 17 U.S.C. 106A. Moral rights are discussed here.

[back to notice text]

Question: What may be copyrighted?

Answer: In order to be copyrightable, a work must be

1. fixed in a tangible medium of expression ; and
2. original.

Copyrights do not protect ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries: they only protect physical representations. 17 U.S.C.

[back to notice text]

Question: What may be copyrighted?

[back to notice text]

Question: What kinds of things are copyrightable?

Answer: In order for material to be copyrightable, it must be original and must be in a fixed medium.

Only material that originated with the author can support a copyright. Items from the public domain which appear in a work, as well as work borrowed from others, cannot be the subject of an infringement claim. Also, certain stock material might not be copyrightable, such as footage that indicates a location like the standard shots of San Francisco in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Also exempted are stock characters like the noisy punk rocker who gets the Vulcan death grip in Star Trek IV.

The requirement that works be in a fixed medium leaves out certain forms of expression, most notably choreography and oral performances such as speeches. For instance, if I perform a Klingon death wail in a local park, my performance is not copyrightable. However, if I film the performance, then the film is copyrightable.

Single words and short phrases are generally not protected by copyright, even when the name has been "coined" or newly-created by the mark owner. Logos that include original design elements can be protected under copyright or under trademark. Otherwise, words, phrases and titles may be protected only by trademark, however.

[back to notice text]

Question: Who may hold a copyright?

Answer: A copyright ordinarily vests in the creator or creators of a work (known as the author(s)), and is inherited as ordinary property. Copyrights are freely transferrable as property, at the discretion of the owner. 17 U.S.C.

[back to notice text]

Question: What happens if an individual is found to repeatedly infringe?

Answer: The safe harbor provisions require the service provider to include in its copyright infringement policies a termination policy that results in individuals who repeatedly infringe copyrighted material being removed from the service provider networks. [512(i)(1)(A)] This termination policy must be made public in the terms of use that the service provider includes in its contracts or on its web site.

[back to notice text]

Question: Does a copyright owner have to specify the exact materials it alleges are infringing?

Answer: Proper notice under the safe harbor provisions requires the copyright owners to specifically identify the alleged infringing materials, or if the service provider is an "information location tool" such as a search engine, to specifically identify the links to the alleged infringing materials. [512(c)(3)(iii)], [512(d)(3)]. The provisions also require the copyright owners to identify the copyrighted work, or a representative list of the copyrighted works, that is claimed to be infringed. [512(c)(3)(A)(ii)]. Rather than simply sending a letter to the service provider that claims that infringing material exists on their system, these qualifications ensure that service providers are given a reasonable amount of information to locate the infringing materials and to effectively police their networks. [512(c)(3)(A)(iii)], [512(d)(3)].

However, in the recent case of ALS Scan, Inc. v. Remarq Communities, Inc., the court found that the copyright owner did not have to point out all of the infringing material, but only substantially all of the material. The relaxation of this specificity requirement shifts the burden of identifying the material to the service provider, raising the question of the extent to which a service provider must search through its system. OSP customers should note that this situation might encourage OSP's to err on the side of removing allegedly infringing material.

[back to notice text]

Question: What does "under penalty of perjury" mean?

Answer: Law.com offers a good definition of perjury: "Perjury is the the crime of intentionally lying after being duly sworn (to tell the truth) by a notary public, court clerk or other official. This false statement may be made in testimony in court, administrative hearings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, as well as by signing or acknowledging a written legal document (such as affidavit, declaration under penalty of perjury, deed, license application, tax return) known to contain false information. Although it is a crime, prosecutions for perjury are rare, because a defendant will argue he/she merely made a mistake or misunderstood."

[back to notice text]

Question: What are the counter-notice and put-back procedures?

Answer: In order to ensure that copyright owners do not wrongly insist on the removal of materials that actually do not infringe their copyrights, the safe harbor provisions require service providers to notify the subscribers if their materials have been removed and to provide them with an opportunity to send a written notice to the service provider stating that the material has been wrongly removed. [512(g)] If a subscriber provides a proper "counter-notice" claiming that the material does not infringe copyrights, the service provider must then promptly notify the claiming party of the individual's objection. [512(g)(2)] If the copyright owner does not bring a lawsuit in district court within 14 days, the service provider is then required to restore the material to its location on its network. [512(g)(2)(C)]

A proper counter-notice must contain the following information:

The subscriber's name, address, phone number and physical or electronic signature [512(g)(3)(A)]
Identification of the material and its location before removal [512(g)(3)(B)]
A statement under penalty of perjury that the material was removed by mistake or misidentification [512(g)(3)(C)]
Subscriber consent to local federal court jurisdiction, or if overseas, to an appropriate judicial body. [512(g)(3)(D)]

If it is determined that the copyright holder misrepresented its claim regarding the infringing material, the copyright holder then becomes liable to the person harmed for any damages that resulted from the improper removal of the material. [512(f)]

Star's Edge Claims Newsgroup Posts Infringe (#7)

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Topic maintained by Chilling Effects