Video Spoofing Michael Mann Removed by YouTube - Bogus Reason Given

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At a Washington, DC press conference yesterday, the No Cap and Trade Coalition announced a new video spoofing prominent 'climategate' scientist, Dr. Michael Mann, and his infamous 'hockey stick chart' showing rapidly increasing global temperatures in recent decades. The video was posted on YouTube until Wednesday afternoon, when the Google-owned video site removed the video, citing non-existent copyright claims by Jib Jab as the reason. The video was produced in response to a cease and desist demand from Michael Mann's attorney over an older video produced by Minnesotans for Global Warming. The original Hide the Decline video they created used some Jib Jab-provided animation, under their general license and with their expressed written consent, but the new video, recently removed by YouTube contains no such content.

Spokesman for the No Cap and Trade Coalition, Jeff Davis, said, "It looks like Dr. Mann has gone into overdrive trying to hide 'Hide the Decline,' since the new video was launched and began to spread like wildfire across the Internet." In the span of less than a day, the video had been linked on over 1,000 websites, including News Busters, Junk Science, and the American Spectator. It was going viral fast and the press was calling when YouTube pulled the plug.

According to the No Cap and Trade Coalition, Jib Jab has no rightful claims on the new video, titled 'Hide the Decline II.'

"They have no basis for this copyright claim. It's outrageous that they would claim ownership of content we produced, if that's indeed what's happened, as YouTube claims in the removal notice," said Davis.

Although YouTube has decided to stifle the popular new satirical video, it's still available through other venues and can be viewed at NoCapAndTrade.com.

Minnesotans for Global Warming (M4GW) uses humor to illustrate the absurdity of anthropogenic global warming fears. Their slogans are "Turn your snow shovels into lawn chairs," and "Nothing would be green without CO2." - M4GW.com

The No Cap and Trade Coalition consists of over 40 state and national organizations that are opposed to cap and trade legislation. For more information, see NoCapAndTrade.com

SOURCE Minnesotans for Global Warming