Release Date: 2006-11-06
Original Link: http://presszoom.com/story_120674.html
Source: Landmark Education
Landmark Education, an international training and development company, has been the subject of an unfounded allegation regarding its recent actions to deal with infringement of its copyrighted material included on a video that was posted on several Internet sites.
(PressZoom.com) - Monday, November 6, 2006 (San Francisco) Landmark Education, an international training and development company, has been the subject of an unfounded allegation regarding its recent actions to deal with infringement of its copyrighted material included on a video that was posted on several Internet sites. The video included portions of our program, the Landmark Forum, which portions were taped without authorization by a person who was in the program under a false name. Upon learning that the video was posted on several web sites, we availed ourselves of the rights provided under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) to request the identity of the people who posted this video. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (“EFF”) challenged our actions and alleged to the press that our copyright claims were bogus, which statement was then disseminated on the Internet.
While we appreciate the work of the EFF, the allegation that our copyright claim is bogus is entirely illegitimate. The facts are clear that the Landmark Forum program has for many years been copyrighted. A formal copyright registration was issued by the U.S. Copyright Office and, under the Berne Convention, this U.S. copyright registration is effective in almost all of the countries around the world. Materials covered by this copyright registration were included throughout the video.
Landmark Education did not take the actions under the DMCA to suppress free speech. In fact, one of our core principles is our commitment to empowering people’s full self–expression. Rather, we took these actions solely to protect our copyrighted material, which is the principal source of our business operations. While freedom of speech on the Internet is essential, it is also vital that copyrighted materials be protected.
Founded in 1991, Landmark Education has had nearly 1 million people participate in its programs in over 20 countries worldwide.
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Press Contact: Erin Bubenhofer
(212) 319-7566; erin@danielides.net