RAGE. So, copyright lovers...

[la_vie_noire]

Via delux_vivens.

So law doesn't protect queer POC from having their experiences appropriated by white straight privileged people, but IT CAN protect said white privileged people from... POC people who talk about the assholes "intellectual property" that came from appropriation and lies.

The Amina Hoaxer threatened to sue Minal Hajratwala for sharing his "copyrighted material" about "Amina."

Comments

[coffeeandink]

I am not actually convinced that the law is going to protect privileged white people from "infringement". Anyone in the US can *threaten* to sue over anything; it's another matter to find a lawyer willing to bring the matter to court, and yet another thing for the court to find in favor of the complaint.

I don't dispute that copyright law supports the powerful in a lot of different ways, but it hasn't actually happened in this case.

[la_vie_noire]

Hm. I thought it was possible for some reason, but you are right, given the context in this particular case it probably won't be that plausible for him. But who knows.

Still, for all I get, authors and big companies can sue POC if they use copyrighted material "based" on their own cultures; like fiction, media, etc. But well, I guess that's for another discussion. And I think [Unknown site tag] (and many others) already talked about that in the past.

[la_vie_noire]

Arg, *colorblue

[coffeeandink]

Sorry -- I just meant that I wasn't sure that the law *in this case* is going to protect the privileged white person from "infringement". That first sentence sounds like I'm disputing the general trend, which I didn't mean to. And yes, absolutely, about corporations claiming & being legally supported in claiming ownership of material based on the cultures of POC.

[la_vie_noire]

Nah, I got you. I was just leaving clear why I thought it was possible.

[ithiliana]

It's true that anybody can threaten to sue, but they have to find a lawyer to take the case (and not just an internet lawyer)! And, yes, copyright does work to support those holding power, but I agree that it doesn't seem likely in this case.

I read the the original post the blogger linked to, and while I'm not a lawyer, it looks to me like a clear cut case of fair use--a handful of fairly short quotes were provided in the context of analyzing/discussing the issues related to how the white male author constructed the fake Syrian lesbian persona.

I'm glad to have the link to Minal's blog though!

[sanguinity]

There's a download link for the entire manuscript up at the top. Which seems to make fair use less clear cut to my non-lawyer eye.

[ithiliana]

Yikes--I somehow missed that.

Yeah, that would be more than fair use would allow.

[parlance]

I was wondering when this was coming.

[la_vie_noire]

Yeah, the man is really... shameless. To call him something.

[glass_icarus]

................................

>:E

[la_vie_noire]

I know right. Some people are entitled to their hoaxes about marginalized people, I guess.

[lynx]

This is sickening.

[la_vie_noire]

Pretty much.

[keeva]

In a statement to the NY Times, MacMaster is talking big about suing other people and web sites for libel:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/while-posing-as-a-syrian-lesbian-male-blogger-tried-to-get-a-book-deal/?smid=tw-thelede&seid=auto

[willow]

Before even clicking the lik, I'm hearing this:

"How DARE YOU MOCK ME! How DARE YOU call me insensitive. I AM A WHITE MAN. I AM AMERICAN! I AM ALWAYS RIGHT! I was bringing attention to the plight of the little people! I will NOT be Disrespected!"

And after clicking it.

If there was a way him promoting a libel case, could make it possible for the woman's whose picture he uses to counter-sue with a libel case against HIM! Oh, if only....

[la_vie_noire]

But does the woman know about this? I haven't hear a thing about her. But yeah, that would be pretty.

[keeva]

She's said in interviews that she's looking into legal action against MacMaster.

[la_vie_noire]

Oh, I hope she succeeds!

[la_vie_noire]

...... That man.

It gets worse!

[keeva]

He shows up at Gawker to complain about their story sourced to the NYTimes:

http://gawker.com/5814664/fake-syrian-lesbian-tried-to-get-book-deal

"Copyright law doesn't exist simply to protect nice people or only people of certain sexual orientations, skin pigmentation or social class but also to protect straight, white working class jerks like me."

[keeva]

oh. my. fucking. god.

http://mondoweiss.net/2011/06/arab-lgbt-movement-we-are-not-victims-in-need-of-a-white-male-savior-working-in-london.html

read the comments

[la_vie_noire]

................ That man is... seriously, seriously shitty.