Govt Readies For Lawsuit Against Youtube

[sbk]

Perhaps I am missing something here but it seems the whole point of the thread has disappeared with this news:

Thailand Drops YouTube Suit

Friday, May. 11, 2007 By AP

(BANGKOK, Thailand) — The Thai government abruptly scrapped plans to sue Google after the U.S. company agreed to remove from a Web site video clips deemed insulting to the country's revered king, an official said Friday.

The government blocked access to YouTube — a popular video-sharing site owned by Google — on April 4, after Google Inc. turned down Thailand's request to remove the clips seen as offensive to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

"We decided not to sue Google because it has agreed to cooperate in removing 12 video clips from the YouTube Web site," said Vissanu Meeyoo, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology spokesman.

One clip depicts shoes with the soles pointed toward the king's image — a major taboo in a culture where feet are considered extremely dirty and offensive. The video's soundtrack is the Thai national anthem.

"We have the deepest respect for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej," Google wrote in a letter to the ministry. "We likewise respect Thailand's law and tradition and hope that we will be able to reach a mutually acceptable resolution to the current controversy."

Google is based in Mountain View, Calif.

The ministry had planned to file a criminal lawsuit against Google on charges of lese-majeste, or offense against the monarchy, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Thai authorities take the issue seriously. A Swiss man was sentenced to 10 years in jail in March in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai after he defaced posters of the king during a drinking binge. He was later pardoned and deported.

Critics have accused Thailand's current government of blocking Web sites critical of the September 19 coup that overthrew then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

From TIME magazine.

Perhaps we should change the title of the thread to "Thailand no longer prepares to sue youtube"

Seems to me it was all a show to try and get youtube/google to negotiate.

[cdnvic]

But now instead of claiming victory, this guy wants to push ahead and go after the posters of the videos.... prolonging this nightmare and keeping himself in the spotlight.

[sbk]

But now instead of claiming victory, this guy wants to push ahead and go after the posters of the videos.... prolonging this nightmare and keeping himself in the spotlight.

Which is, as you suggested earlier, the most likely object of the game. And game it is, I believe.

For those interested in the man, Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, here is his WIKI bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitthichai_Pookaiyaudom

[sriracha john]

Google shareholders vote down proposal on censorship

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.--Google shareholders rejected a proposal on Thursday to require the search giant to set policies to protect freedom of access to the Internet and not self-censor.

Google "must make special efforts to avoid being seen as complicit in human rights abuses...and not be proactive in censorship," said Patrick Doherty, a representative of the New York City Pension Fund, which submitted the resolution. When it created its Web search site for China, Google said it would remove results from its www.google.cn Web site that would likely offend the Chinese government. Yahoo shareholders face several similar resolutions at their annual meeting.

Before the shareholder vote, Google chief legal counsel David Drummond said the board opposed the measure because it would do more harm than good.

"We appreciate the spirit of this proposal, he said. "However we oppose the proposal because we don't think that at the end of the day it advances the causes of free expression and access to information. Pulling out of China, shutting down google.cn is, to us, not the right thing to do at this point and is not the answer to the Internet censorship problem."

- New York Times

[wintermute]

.

For those interested in the man, Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, here is his WIKI bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitthichai_Pookaiyaudom

What's interesting is that this guy doesn't seem to be an ignorant rube but he certainly acts like one. He has a bonafide technical education from a reputable western university. I think all the money and power that goes along with being a minister for a rather incompetent junta has gone to his head. It's doubly ironic that he was trumpeting the virtues of IP protection back in the day too.

"With open source, there is no intellectual property. Anyone can use it and all your ideas become public domain. If nobody can make money from it, there will be no development and open source software quickly becomes outdated... As a programmer, if I can write good code, why should I give it away? Thailand can do good source code without open source."

Compare this with Thailand's current spin on foreign IP.

[sbk]

.

For those interested in the man, Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, here is his WIKI bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitthichai_Pookaiyaudom

What's interesting is that this guy doesn't seem to be an ignorant rube but he certainly acts like one. He has a bonafide technical education from a reputable western university. I think all the money and power that goes along with being a minister for a rather incompetent junta has gone to his head. It's doubly ironic that he was trumpeting the virtues of IP protection back in the day too.

"With open source, there is no intellectual property. Anyone can use it and all your ideas become public domain. If nobody can make money from it, there will be no development and open source software quickly becomes outdated... As a programmer, if I can write good code, why should I give it away? Thailand can do good source code without open source."

Compare this with Thailand's current spin on foreign IP.

Yes, that surprised me too. He is quite educated and certainly has a technological background.

[OlRedEyes]

Yes, that surprised me too. He is quite educated and certainly has a technological background.

Which means exactly zero, I'm afraid.

[macb]

According to my Thai News Email last night Thailand is not know going to Sue Google (You TUbe) However Yout tube are removing certain links realting to the Royal Family

[astral]

The overwhelming cultural imperialism of the US

Can't recall the last time someone was forced at gunpoint to watch Friends or American Idol.

Not quite at gun point, but where there is little else, people will watch,

and get hooked on the American trash that is put out.

[astral]

But now instead of claiming victory, this guy wants to push ahead and go after the posters of the videos.... prolonging this nightmare and keeping himself in the spotlight.

Isn't that what it is all about????

Publicity and a place in the spotlight?

[cclub75]

Done. YouTube has removed some videos, the most offensive ("This video has been removed due to terms of use violation."). Last night they were still on line.

However, the videos more "political" are still there.

Anyway, the frontiere is thin... At one point, what will be political for YouTube, will be "offensive and lese majeste" for ICT minister...

[cdnvic]

The overwhelming cultural imperialism of the US

Can't recall the last time someone was forced at gunpoint to watch Friends or American Idol.

Not quite at gun point, but where there is little else, people will watch,

and get hooked on the American trash that is put out.

They watch what's easy. That's their problem. Not the fault of the US, which has some excellent entertainment if people take the time to look.

[kopite]

ive been able to access youtube all day and now i cant. is it just me?

[Rinrada]

The principals of Non-Censorship and the heads of servants of Tin Pot Gs unfortunately will not and have never made the best of bedtime sleeping partnerships.

[sriracha john]

If they are having difficulty reaching an agreement on what is and what is not offensive... perhaps they could let their "report as offensive" button actually have some meaning and if a certain number of number of viewership feel it's offensive, remove it as per their own policy:

("This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.").

btw, DO they clearly state on their site the rules governing their "report as offensive" button for its use and its implications?

Edited May 13, 2007 by sriracha john

[TAWP]

sriracha john>> You seem confused. They had no grounds to sue YouTube EVEN if they knowingly would NOT remove movies that didn't comply with the rules put forward. Do you know why?

Since the rules are for USERS and their ability to use their service, not a law affecting to company.

And let me know when you value freedom over oppression.