Redlasso Suspends Blogger Access After Video Copyright Suit
Friday July 25th, 2008 / 18h09
By Chad Bray Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Redlasso Inc. said Friday that it has suspended blogger access to its video search-and-clipping Web site after it was sued by NBC Universal Inc., Fox News Network LLC and Fox Television Stations Inc. earlier this week for copyright infringement. In a statement, the King of Prussia, Pa., company said it continues to provide services to its business clients, but has suspended access to the blogger Web site, which was in beta testing. Redlasso had offered access - to bloggers and select individuals who comment on newsworthy events - to search selected television and radio segments and create limited duration clips for usage in blog posts. "We are very disappointed in the actions of select networks. We believe we have always acted within the law and have been respectful of the networks' rights," said Ken Hayward, Redlasso's chief executive, in a statement. Hayward said the company plans to continue conversations with content providers "with the goal of establishing formal partnerships that will be beneficial to the content owners and blogging community." Redlasso's business clients are able to track and clip content for internal use. Through its Radio To Web service, radio station clients also can search, clip, and upload content to their Web sites and share that content online. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday, NBC Universal, Fox News and Fox Television Stations alleged Redlasso was improperly making available video clips of their copyrighted programming. The lawsuit claims Redlasso hasn't been licensed or authorized by the networks to reproduce copies of their news and entertainment programming, including copies of NBC's "Today" show and Fox's "On The Record with Greta Van Susteren." NBC Universal is a unit of General Electric Co. (GE), while Fox News and Fox Television Stations are units of News Corp. (NWS). News Corp. also owns Dow Jones, publisher of this newswire and the Wall Street Journal. -Chad Bray; Dow Jones Newswires; 212-227-2017; chad.bray@dowjones.com Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/al?rnd=momliFUbkLkO9OuIQJjF%2Bw%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
