Google ordered to remove anti-Islamic film from YouTube

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Google ordered to remove anti-Islamic film from YouTube

BY JONATHAN STEMPEL AND DAN LEVINE
Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:48pm EST

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday ordered Google Inc to remove from its YouTube video-sharing website an anti-Islamic film that had sparked protests across the Muslim world.

By a 2-1 vote, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected Google's assertion that the removal of the film "Innocence of Muslims," amounted to a prior restraint of speech that violated the U.S. Constitution.

The plaintiff, Cindy Lee Garcia, had objected to the film after learning that it incorporated a clip she had made for a different movie, which had been partially dubbed and in which she appeared to be asking: "Is your Mohammed a child molester?"

Representatives for Google could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/26/us-google-youtube-film-idUSBREA1P1HK20140226

[CFLDem]

1. Such BS

Whatever happened to free speech?

[cbayer]

2. The headline is misleading. If you read the article, you will see

that this is about a copyright claim, not free speech.

[CFLDem]

3. In that case

[rug]

4. Thanks for that correction.

Sometimes this room reacts like Jell-o touched by a feather.

The 37 page opinion in CINDY GARCIA V. GOOGLE, INC. is on a pdf at this link.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/opinions/

[cbayer]

5. It's been a really interesting case and I think they made the right decision.

Can you imagine what it has been like for her?

[rug]

6. The judge laid it out pretty clearly in the first sentence.

"While answering a call for a low-budget amateur film doesn't often lead to stardom, it also rarely turns an aspiring actress into the subject of a fatwa."

Google should have heeded any of her eight takedown notices.

She was completely duped.

[Jim__]

7. I agree with the decision, however, I am curious as to the legality of issuing fatwas like this one.

I realize the fatwa was issued in Egypt. If it had been issued in the US, could the issuer be arrested and charged with a serious felony - something like conspiracy to commit murder? Can we issue an arrest warrant for the Egyptian issuer effectively banning him from the US and possibly asking for extradition - I don't know if we have an extradition treaty with Egypt, but if we do, can this be grounds for such a request?

[cbayer]

8. Good questions and I would like to know more about that as well.

I would guess that a fatwa issued in this country against a(bother) citizen would be illegal.

But I have never heard of a case of someone being extradited for issuing a fatwa from another country.

[rug]

9. I like the way you think.

In principle it would work. Political ramifications aside, I bet it would depend on how specific a threat was made, as opposed to a general anathema or curse.