In a strange and eerily-autocratic move, the Associated Press is trying to create legal grounds to issue licensing agreements to allow readers to quote passages as small as five words. This has huge ramifications for bloggers as I alone quote the AP numerous times while writing opinions on stories. Thus I consider this move an insult and a "slap in the face" to the spread of enlightened and grassroots thought and editorials.
Charging between $12.50 and $100.00 in order to quote words the AP stands to reap a huge profit off this as this would apply to bloggers, other news institutions, emails between co-workers/friends/family and etc. Even if one were to decide to pay the exorbitant fee charged, the AP could rescind the agreement at any time if use of the licensed content was deemed "offensive and/or damaging to (the) Publishers reputation".
The New York Times views the move as an "attempt to define clear standards as to how much of its articles and broadcasts bloggers and websites can excerpt". I would rather "define" this as a veiled attempt to usurp power and control the flow of media throughout the internet. There isn't any word yet on the legal muscle behind this move but needless to say I am very disappointed in the AP.
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