Re: "copyrighted story" - CNN

Richard Hopkins noted a CNN report that "In a copyrighted story, the Pioneer Press reported that investigators are piecing together tapes of air traffic control radar recorded the night of the sightings, " and asked:

> Why would CNN make such a comment? Simple ignorance of copyright
> law? Are they suggesting that the Pioneer Press has some exclusive
> right to this bit of news?

I think this is more a matter of journalistic courtesy than anything related to copyright law. It's a phrase heard fairly often. I think the news media like to acknowledge one another's proprietary rights, even when those rights don't extend to the facts themselves. But I also suspect it's a way of passing the blame if the story turns out to be inaccurate.

Bob Cumbow
<cumbr[_at_]perkinscoie.com> Received on Fri Apr 11 1997 - 20:50:09 GMT