In what has to be described as the most idiotic marketing strategy ever conceived, the United States Air Force is demanding that a “viral” recruitment video touting the benefits of the Air Force Cyber Command division be removed from YouTube for violating copyright infringement.
If you’re feeling confused after reading that first paragraph, you’re not alone. There are so many things wrong here that I barely know where to begin. But let’s start with this little nugget: US government works are not copyrightable– this includes all works produced for and by the US military. Seems like a pretty open and shut case, right? Well, it should be, but unfortunately that’s only the beginning of this ridiculous saga.
Ignoring for a moment the fact the US government works are not eligible for copyright status, and are in fact owned by “we the people” of the United States, the US Air Force web site also contains a privacy policy which clearly states, “information presented on the Air Force recruiting web site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.” So how is it possible that the Air Force is demanding that YouTube remove a recruitment video–a video which was made by and designed to PROMOTE the U. S. Air Force? It boggles the mind.
But the insanity doesn’t stop there; let’s consider another important fact in this case: the recruitment video in question is designed as a “viral” Internet video, and was created specifically for online consumption. Is it possible that the US Air Force doesn’t understand what a “viral” video is?
You’d think they would consider it a major success to have their recruitment video shared freely on YouTube, MySpace and other popular web sites, but instead, the Air Force sent a DMCA notice, signed by a representing attorney, and requesting that YouTube immediately remove the video in question.
Amazingly, YouTube caved in and complied with the bogus request, even though there was not one single legal reason for doing so, and the very act of removing the video from their site practically ensures that the “viral” recruitment video will be unsuccessful online.
Wired.com was not so spineless about the matter however, and they continue to host the recruitment video on their web site. They are also hosting a copy of the DMCA notice presented to YouTube, and offer a clear explanation of the various legal problems with that document, including the inescapable fact that US government media may NOT be copyrighted.
Normally I would try to find some explanation for why the Air Force is carrying on this way; but in this case, it absolutely defies reason and common sense. I searched online to see what other pundits thought, and quickly found that, like me, no one else had a clue. It’s either a case of extreme (and I mean extreme) incompetence, or a marketing plan that is so diabolically clever that it flies right over the heads of ordinary mortals.
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