IOC orders blogger to remove video

The International Olympic Committee has ordered a P.E.I blogger, Stephan Pate to remove the video of the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from his website. Nodar was only 21 years of age when he died during a training run on February 12th, 2010, just hours before the Olympic ceremonies. Pate had posted the video of the death along with his commentary. The IOC has emailed him recently asking him to take it down. The email states that the IOC owns the rights to all of the images of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and only licensed broadcasters can use them. However, Pate recently has denied the request to remove the video, stating that Canada's copyright act allows the use of copyrighted material as part of a news story. Pate said the only reason he posted this video was because it is his job to report news. Also being part of the news organization(NJN), Pate has the right to post news. The IOC responded by saying that there are two reasons that they want the video removed: One is to protect the IOC's exclusive rights and those of the official broadcasters, secondly the IOC feels that it is disrespectful to the Kumaritashvili family. Pate has not yet removed the video and says that he will take it to court if necessary.

I feel that what Stephen Pate is doing is wrong, however what he is doing is completely legal. By posting the video of the death of someone, it shows that you really don't care or you don't know the meaning of respect. The IOC is doing the right thing by trying to get Pate to remove the video, but I feel that Pate will not. Pate cannot be criminally charged with anything, this is why he will not remove it. I feel that the only way to get Pate to remove the video is to get one of the Family members of Nodar to contact Pate and explain that what he is doing is wrong. Pate will not surrender to the IOC, because he does not want it to seem that he was wrong and they were right.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/02/22/pei-blogger-olympic-video-584.html