BREAKING NEWS: ARMY REVERSES COURSE; DOES RIGHT BY MICHAEL YON
SUNDAY AM UPDATE: Boston Herald: Blogger, Army call pic truce: Writer says ownership issue resolved
Yon, who all but accused the Army of trying to swipe ownership of the heartbreaking photo of a U.S. GI cradling the dying girl, credited a story in the Boston Herald and an online blogger crusade - led by local radio-show host Kevin Whalen via his punditreview.com Internet site - for pressuring the Army to settle.
Michael Yon will be our special guest on Pundit Review Radio this Sunday evening at 8pm EST to discuss this entire affair. You can stream the show live at WRKO and call to talk with Michael toll free at 877-469-4322.
ORIGINAL POST
What we have here is the ability to communicate! Picking up on a couple of MSM stories, bloggers rallied behind Michael Yon in his copyright battle with the US Army in a major way over the past 24 hours.
Michael was in a stalemate for seven months, getting nowhere, until Boston Herald reporter and fellow blogger Jay Fitzgerald as well as the Southtown Free Press’ Dan Lavoie, covered the story. Their MSM reporting brought this to the attention of the blogosphere. From there, blogs like this one and those listed below picked up the story and started a blog swarm, sending hundreds of emails to those in a position to make the right decision on Michael’s behalf.
From Michael Yon, Saturday, February 4th, 2006
Copyright Dispute Resolved
Thousands of readers might have learned about it from Jay Fitzgerald�??s piece in Tuesday�??s Boston Herald. Maybe it was the article Dan Lavoie wrote for last Sunday�??s Southtown Free Press, or the press release issued by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Or when Kevin Whalen at Pundit Review called for blogger arms in an intransigent dispute with the Army over intellectual property rights. The growing volume of these voices gained the attention of people who could resolve the conflict.
The dispute over the unattributed and unauthorized distribution of my photographs has been resolved in principle to the satisfaction of the involved parties. The dispute had been exacerbated by Army lawyers, but once the matter was brought forefront and examined by Brigadier General Brooks, Chief of Public Affairs, it was resolved by another more senior Army attorney. At the end of the day, the Army did the right thing. I greatly appreciate the efforts of those involved, including the blogosphere and Brigadier General Brooks, whose determined attention and immediate action removed the obstacle.
This is a tremendous victory for Michael personally, and all of us collectively. Special thanks should be given to those rare MSM reporters who actually get the blogosphere, Jay Fitzgerald and Dan Lavoie, as well as the big traffic sites like Wizbang, InstaPundit, Michelle Malkin, Mudville Gazette and Pajamas for linking and giving this effort the critical mass it needed.
Here is a list of blogs who rallied behing Michael and achieved this stunning turnaround! Congratulations to one and all.
Pundit Review; Instapundit; Mudville Gazette; Wizbang; Econoblog; Michelle Malkin; Pajamas Media; Free Republic; Blackfive ; Whodathunk;
Random Bits of Pomposity; The Conservative Spread; Home School Blogger; Done With Mirrors; Just Some Poor Schmuck; Anton Traversa; Just Barking Mad; Presto Agiato; Small Town Veteran; Rockets Brain; Literal Barrage;
Sunset Streams; Chapomatic; ; Oriental Redneck; Almost Average; Daniel in Broookline; Noola Beulah; Fun Murphy�??s; The Art Law Blog; Volokh Conspiracy; QNotes; Not Exactly Rocket Science
February 4th, 2006 at 6:31 am
This is wonderful! What great news. Glad to do the little bit I could.
It helps when you go over the heads of the shmucks, eh?
February 4th, 2006 at 7:05 am
Oops! My server was down. Thanks to all those who did help. Fantastic!
February 4th, 2006 at 9:21 am
[...] I thought I wrote the story, but apparently it was one of the articles that got lost in the blogger glitch. Darn blogger! lol. Please check out Kevin’s article over at the Pundit Review about this situation. He has many other articles pertaining to this story. [...]
February 4th, 2006 at 9:27 am
BG BROOKS FINAL WORD TO ME YESTERDAY
“Thanks Dave. Now you’re on target. Thanks again for your service and for
the words of encouragement. Talked to Michael and understand his
frustration. We both have other business to attend.”
Sounds like BG Brooks saw this as a minor issue and directed it to get fixed. Sometimes, you have to get to the HMFIC.
February 4th, 2006 at 9:55 am
A WIN FOR MICHAEL YON
Michael Yon, the invaluable milblogger and photojournalist, has prevailed in his dispute with the Army over the copyright to one of the most moving photos I’ve laid eyes on in my lifetime. Yon updates the story here. Kevin Whlaen at…
February 4th, 2006 at 10:21 am
Yea, it is great news. But this kills for sure any chance of Yon ever embedding with U.S. Army troops again.
He was already looked upon as a risk because of his “picking up a weapon” during the firefight that he was involved in and reported on.
Maybe the U.S. Marines will take him.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
February 4th, 2006 at 10:46 am
[...] Punditreview, on the front lines of this story, breaks the news that the blogosphere’s (et al) collective and determined efforts have made a difference in this serious and disturbing matter. As I wrote in my letter to General Brooks, I have no beef with the army as a whole - I imagine it was the misguided reflex of some JAG officer. I’m sure he believed what he did was right - but it wasn’t and it has been rectified to our satisfaction. [...]
February 4th, 2006 at 11:15 am
HOOAH!!!!
February 4th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Pap Ray,
Thanks for the comment. Michael addressed that in his post on this settlement, it is linked above. He said on the issue of being an embedd again,
“Looking ahead and thinking of keeping us all focused on a common goal, Brigadier General Brooks assured me that should I have further problems getting embedded with the military, there is now a person to call for immediate assistance: him. Thank you, General Brooks.”
I think Gen. Brooks is a man of his word.
Kevin
February 4th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I totally missed this! I’m so glad Michael got his due! He SOOO deserves it.
February 4th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
The US Army takes on and kills the most dangerous people in the world but responds to the pressure of an individual and a bunch of people at their computers.
Just another reason I am thankful I wonder life’s lottery and was born in the US.
February 4th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Just became aware of the controversy. I knew Vince Brooks from when he was a fellow plebe at West Point with me, USMA Class of 1980. I knew from the first day at the academy that he was a leader and a man who had common sense who can be trusted.
Throughout his career it has been clear that he has been an upfront guy. I am glad he got this resolved as I knew he would.
Micheal, your writing has been a source of good in the world in highlighting the truth in the fight against evil. Keep it up.
February 4th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
This is great news!
February 4th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
The army doesn’t stay wrong for long. They’re all good people (as opposed to the narrative from the MSM painting them as irrational and mentally scarred war criminals) and a little nudge will be all that is needed to get them on the right track.
February 4th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Well said Josh.
Kevin
February 4th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Just When You Think There’s Hope…
Everyone who has been in the military knows the frustration that comes from trying to accomplish the mission while fighting off idiots who are supposed to be on your side. Michael Yon is one of the stars of Iraq reporting….
February 6th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Bloggers fight the U.S. Army, win
The Boston Herald’s Jay Fitzgerald wrote today: “Bay State blogger Michael Yon is claiming victory over the U.S. Army in a battle over copyright to a famous photo of an Iraqi girl who was mortally wounded in a terrorist attack last May.”
February 9th, 2006 at 11:31 am
Bloggers In The Corridors Of Power
Bloggers have made their presence known in various corridors of Washington power over the past several days — from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon and the White House. One conservative blogger’s name was even floated (in a friendly and unofficial…
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June 20th, 2006 at 9:38 am
[...] To learn about the role Jay Fitzgerald AND Pundit Review played in the original Michael Yon blog swarm involving a copyright dispute with the U.S. Army, click here. Filed in: New Media | No Comments » [...]
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October 31st, 2006 at 9:03 pm
[...] Well, they guessed wrong. Michael Yon, and his friends in the blogosphere, got the US Army to reverse course after their unathorized use of this amazingly moving photo. We will do the same to this wanna be moonbat. [...]
December 23rd, 2006 at 8:58 pm
[...] Shock Magazine has gone out of business after eight issues. A big reason why is that they messed with Michael Yon. They should have asked the US Army public affairs office what it was like to mess with Yon’s copyright. Here is the NY Post’s take, The American version became ensnared in controversy almost from Day One when it ran a picture of an American soldier cradling a wounded Iraqi girl who was fatally injured in a roadside ambush. [...]
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:55 pm
[...] As great as our military is, we suck at Information Warfare in the Information Age. We’ve told you about Michael Yon’s repeated problems with the military, and now this. [...]