ProfNet Experts Available on Music Copyright, History of Anti-Gay Violence, More

NEW YORK, June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/alertswire

EXPERT ALERTS

• History of Gay Liberation Coincides with Anti-Gay Violence
• You Can't Copyright the Unrecognizable
• 'Fat Axl' Photo Fight May Cause Streisand Effect

MEDIA JOBS

• Associate Producer – CNBC (NJ)
• Reporter – WCVB-TV (MA)
• Producer/Writer – WLNY-TV (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Artificial Intelligence Breathes New Life Into the Newsroom
• Media 411: Tips for Assignment Editors
• PR Newswire Media Moves

EXPERT ALERTS:

History of Gay Liberation Coincides with Anti-Gay Violence
James Downs
Associate Professor of History
Connecticut College
"The attacks in Orlando mark the worst instance of anti-gay violence in American history, but it's far from the first. As Americans reel from the tragedy, we are looking for answers to rationalize the rampage. Insinuating that Omar Mateen was gay is not only inaccurate but it also follows a common historical pattern that can be traced to last massive massacre against LGBT people."
Downs is an Associate Professor of History at Connecticut College, currently finishing up a year as the Andrew W. Mellon New Directions Fellow at Harvard University. Downs recently published Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation where he documents the untold history of the gay movement of the 70s. He is available to document and explain that mass violence goes hand in hand with the history of gay liberation. Downs recently penned an op-ed for The New York Times, where he brought to light not only the history of anti-gay violence, but also the reality that we all too often put emphasis on the culprit, unwittingly overshadowing the story of the victims. Downs also specializes in 19^th Century United States history, African American studies, and History of Medicine and Public Health.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/jim-downs
Contact: Kerry Meehan, [email protected]

You Can't Copyright the Unrecognizable
Amanda Greenspon
Intellectual Property Attorney
Munck Wilson Mandala
At less than a quarter of a second, even a die-hard Madonna fan might miss the musical sound at the center of the copyright litigation over her dancehall smash hit, "Vogue." But that was the issue for California's 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which focused on a brief sample from funk ensemble SalSoul Orchestra's "Ooh I Love It," and asked if unauthorized use of such a tiny snippet of music could amount to copyright infringement. In the end, the 9th Circuit panel sided with Madonna in a 2-1 ruling, finding that such a fleeting sound is simply not recognizable to a general listening audience. Says Greenspon, "The court appears to have set a boundary to the question of what amount of music data is too small to be considered a sample and therefore entitled to copyright protection. In this case, at least, it's 0.23 of a second. If the Court's opinion had gone the other way, we would have expected many more copyright lawsuits and claims by artists. So where do you draw the line? Just like an artist cannot own a single line of a drawing, this court found that such a small amount of material cannot be owned by an artist. What we do know is that as the digitization of music production continues, the courts will continue to struggle to keep up."
Contact: Robert Tharp, [email protected]

'Fat Axl' Photo Fight May Cause Streisand Effect
Kenton Hutcherson
Internet Attorney
Hutcherson Law Firm, Dallas
In an effort to stop the spread of the so-called "Fat Axl" Internet meme, Guns N' Roses and AC/DC front man Axl Rose is demanding Google remove photos showing him to be overweight. The unflattering photos of a much heavier Rose have appeared on the Internet accompanied by satirical lyrics to Guns N' Roses songs, including "Welcome to the Jungle, we got tons of cake" or "Sweet Pie o' Mine." While fat jokes are never a good thing, be careful what you wish for when trying to remove photos from the Internet, even in an issue as weighty -- so to speak -- as this one. Says Hutcherson: "It's called the 'Barbra Streisand Effect.' If you take legal action to remove certain content, you might actually fail and attract more attention to the content. Learn to pick your battles on the web and understand how easy it is to make the situation much worse."
Hutcherson represents people harmed by web content and has experience using the court system to compel Google and others to remove offensive content.
Contact: Sophia Reza, [email protected]

****************

MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• Associate Producer – CNBC (NJ)
• Reporter – WCVB-TV (MA)
• Producer/Writer – WLNY-TV (NY)

*****************

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO THE NEWSROOM. What if technology – on its own – could be capable of both producing and delivering news to the reader in the exact way he or she wants it? The future of news is no longer the internet of things or increased automation, as these phenomena have already infiltrated our daily lives. The future of news is artificial intelligence (AI): http://prn.to/1twmiN6
• MEDIA 411: TIPS FOR ASSIGNMENT EDITORS. Being a journalist is tough – stress and responsibility are an everyday thing. Just ask any assignment editor. They're the heart of the newsroom and where almost every story begins. They find the stories by fielding calls from the public, listening to scanners, reading news releases (yes, it still happens), plan the stories, and assign them to a reporter. They're producers and troubleshooters and also make the suggestions as to whether or not a story should be covered: http://prn.to/1RZjhZw
• PR NEWSWIRE MEDIA MOVES. See changing business cards in the industry. PR Newswire's Audience Research Department tells us who's on the move: http://prn.to/1UjKdYC

****************

PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150416/199234LOGO

SOURCE ProfNet

Related Links

http://www.profnet.com