The Electronic Frontier Foundation came to the rescue: Spots the Space Marine is available once again on Amazon in paper and kindle format. Anything that has been taken down before can be taken down again, so this is still a potentially volatile situation.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation stepped in, successfully lobbying Amazon to reinstate the book. CORYNNE MCSHERRY wrote:
“Hogarth tried to resolve the dispute in a friendly way, but Games Workshop refused to withdraw its complaint. So she reached out for help, including to EFF (and thanks to the many folks, including Wil Wheaton, Popehat, and Cory Doctorow, who helped spread the word). We were able to intervene and, to Amazon’s credit, the company reviewed the claim and restored the book…”
This bigger problem is not going away anytime soon. Users, let’s keep standing up to trademark bullies, and helping others do so, too. Intermediaries: take a page from Amazon here, and take the time to help your customers protect themselves. An easy first step is to make sure your trademark takedown policies include easy-to-use counter-notice procedures.
So Games Workshop did NOT back down; instead this was a win for social media and the guys at the EFF.
The EFF is the same organisation to which I referred in this news wrap, who are stepping up to the plate to protect podcasters from Personal Audio who have laid claim to a patent for an idea rather than a technology: Personal Audio’s patent is for a “system for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialised sequence.” I’m curious as to when Personal Audio is going to start suing radio stations for disseminating media broadcasts
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has indicated its concern and willingness to help. There are good guys out there. It restores my faith in the human race.
[Previously posted in the original Spots article]