who has their own NUFC site should take note that, according to the legal press, the FA and clubs are cracking down on fan sites using club copyright materials, including the club badge. I'm not sure that any of you three actually have the Toon badge on your sites but you should probably have a look to make sure that you haven't inadvertantly ripped something else off...

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Answers

Found this: Kelly's i - KEEPING YOU UP TO SPEED ON THE NET. By Matt Kelly. FOOTBALL authorities are bullying small fans' websites by demanding they stop using club badges. It's a new tactic in what many see as a cynical effort to force small- but-popular non-profit sites off the web, leaving official sites to clean up in a massively lucrative market. Dozens of sites have had warning letters demanding they stop using the crests, which are protected by copyright. That's on top of the Premier League's ongoing battle to stop sites reporting fixture lists without paying them a fee. A spokesman for Coventry City, who've threatened a number of sites, said they only pursue sites which offend the club. This seems to contradict their letter: "Whilst we are anxious not to seek to discourage your website as supporters and friends of the club, we must advise you that your continued use of the club crest may have serious implications for you." We asked the FA why it was only threatening websites and not other larger media organisations who also habitually use club badges. A tetchy "senior" spokesman didn't seem to comprehend the distinction: "We don't need to defend ourselves. We're perfectly within our rights to pursue who we think fit," he declared with a worrying arrogance. The reason for the double standards is simple. Football internet sites are going to be hugely lucrative and the last thing they want is a host of little guys outshining official sites.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Ah - that explains why .COM have "Biffa's Diary" for his weekend activities (?) instead of a fixture list. Silly really - I'm sure there are alternative ways of reporting a teams fixtures. Arrogant barstewards (the FA - appropriate initals - that is).

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

It's almost cringeable the way the official site is trying to be like Niall and Biffa's site.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I don't think I have the badge anywhere on the site, I was going to put a couple of magpies on it. It's really stupid though as it's a non-profit site. And I can't believe you have to pay a fee for using fixture lists, surely that's taking the p. What about results? And if publishing results is illegal then so are match reports.

The world's gone mad

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I've got badges, Logos and stacks of other copyright stuff on my site, but as I never offend the club, or anyone else I'll be allright.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I've got the crest on my front page but that's all. The rest of the piccies are mine unless stated. BTW Dougal, that site you posted with the videos on has also ripped off all my training ground piccies. I've e-mailed him saying i don't mind him using them but would appreciate an acknowledgement.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Steph, you've got ther same color font and text type as I use on my site. You'll be hearing from my lawyers.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Rik, you've got lots of my photos on there so you'll be hearing from my lawyer - Dougal!!

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

so, what about pictures of the shirt then?

If i buy a Paul Smith suit and take a photograph of it and publish it on my website, i can hardly be sued can i?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Steph, I still see that you have pictures of me on your site.Did you seek the owners permision before you displayed them?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Nope! But I've got much worse photos of other folk up there!

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Including some of your lawyer...

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

LOL!!

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I'll have to get my mate Eddy to make a nice new logo for my site. What do you think of a black and White football with a predic tit girl sitting either side with www.NTLsports.com, in a banner at the bottom, that shouldn't upset anyone should it?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

As long as you include a predictit guy. ;-)

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I could have a hunky footballer with his bits hanging out sitting on top of the giant football with the predic tit girls drooling all over him. Good idea steph... How about a new Logo for your site? What would you like Eddy to make for you?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

You could put up that picture of Pedro in Italia 90

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I know for a FACT that the team badges/crests are not subject to copyright in Australia.

They may not be in other countries either. Therefore, ipso facto, carte blanche, habeus corpus, biggus dickus if the web site was based O/S aka Radio Caroline the scum sucking leaches of lawyers might not have very much to do.

No lawyers reading this are included in the scum sucking leaches parts.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

>>No lawyers reading this are included in the scum sucking leaches parts.

Hmmm. Cast nasturtiums at my profession and you cast them at me.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

oh no.... not the leaches again :-(

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Fairy Nuff, Dougal. Tarred with the same brush, eh?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

My we site is based on a server in the USA, so I am immune to UK laws, ha bleading ha.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

You aren't immune, Rik. There are all sorts of international copyroght protocols to put paid to your argument.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I've got a Newcastle badge on Toonweb, but I'm not taking it off.

I can't see NUFC (C) being bothered. They let you copy the news of their site if you want it as long as you credit it to them, so a badge is no big deal.

If they contact me about it I'll take it off, but not until then.

I don't have any adverts on the site and make no profit at all, so I'm hardly threatening to the club. If anything I'm attracting more fans as a good 10-20% of the visitors are from Asia and Austrailia.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

So as a lawyer your telling me I'm not immune to "copyroght protocols" by being based in the USA. So what if I register myself with that offshore oil rig based server that's kitted out with vast amounts of computer stuff to stop new laws about the UK Government being able to tap into your UK based E mail accounts if they think you are involved in criminal activities. Can they get me on an Independent state in the North sea?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Hey paul I get 30% of my hits from East Asia and around 10% from OZ/NZ. only a handfull from the USA, do you reckon that MAN U have made a cock up getting involved with a US baseball team? Surely I tie up with Grampus 8 in Japan would be a better idea. The amount of TV revenue from Japan and Korea that NTL could raise if Newcastle were on pay per view after a sucsessfull tour of the far East would be immense. Wonder where NUFC are off to in the sunmmer?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Basically, Rik, the laws on the Internet are the same as normal laws. It's policing the Internet that is hard. That is where the international protocols come in. Besides which, you may find that the Toon has registered its copyright in more than one jurisdiction.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

I'm not going to argue with NUFC if they want me to take off copyrighted stuff, but until they ask me, I'll leave it alone.

I think Japan is a slightly untapped market and NUFC should "exploit" it by playing tournaments there. We could even buy a cheap Japanese player for the reserves and we'd sell bucketloads of shirts.

I know that some mackem fansites had to take all of their pictures off because the club contacted them about it apparently, but I think NUFC would take a more leniant stance after Shepherd and Hall's goings on in the last few years. They want to get a good relationship with the fans and by disencouraging fansites it isn't going to help.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

You've been reading my stuff haven't you, I think Japan is a slightly untapped market and NUFC should "exploit" it by playing tournaments there. We could even buy a cheap Japanese player for the reserves and we'd sell bucketloads of shirts. Or perhaps it's a bit obvious

Mind you I wouldn't go for a cheap Japanese player, I would go for one of the best Korean, Japanese and Chinese player that I could come accross.

If one in a thousand Chinese, Japanese and Korean football fans could become a Newcastle fan paying £5 per game to watch Newcastle they would make £7.5 million per game.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

sorry about the Italics

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

To be perfectly honest, I hadn't read your stuff when I wrote it, but I did shortly afterwards and realised how stupid it must look.

Well you know what they say, great minds...

I thought it was obvious anyway. The bit about buying a player from there was from West Ham, who got loads of shirt sales after signing a Japanese, and the rest was just off the top of my head.

Sorry if it sounds similar, but you've got to beleive me.

Seriously though, if NUFC did do all what you and I both believe they should, we could have our little £19m debt sorted out easily.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

NTL Shares

OH YES!!

Mind you, nufc shares aren't looking too bad, 35p and we could get into Europe yet which would knock them up high again. Worth investing.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Let them come to wor door......as my old dad used to say Let the buggers knock, the paint lasts longer than the skin!

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

Rik, Paul et al why dont you put all the flags of the nationalities of your main hitters? e.g. a chinesse flag with NUFC on it, or an australian flag with 'NUFC love xxxx' on it to represent our fans in these parts of the world. Go on, Make them feel at home on your site etc.

-- Anonymous, February 09, 2001