Famous Last Words: ABC versus ABC

Dear Readers

First, I must apologise to the ABC – that’s the Australian Broadcasting Corporation – for an apparent breach of copyright. In the last issue of abc carbon express I used as part of the profile on Mike Hulme, a piece written by Sara Phillips from the ABC’s Environment Online portal.

I’m sorry ABC and I won’t do it again.

Sara – as an ABC employee – is only doing her job (and doing it well). But I should explain to one and all – including the ABC – the process I go through with the fortnightly e-newsletter – which I must emphasise, is produced and distributed freely (without charge) to all readers around the world.

This is the first time in more than three years of producing abc carbon express – which started in March 2008 – that any person or organisation has formally objected to the use of an article in this way. (This is the 144th issue, so I estimate that I have utilised in this way approximately 3000 articles from hundreds of different media – print, broadcasting and online – in that time.

To put this in context, I share with our loyal readers an email I received from Sara, who I know is a very dedicated supporter of clean, green and all things environmental:

Hello Ken,

I’m sorry to have to raise this with you again, but if you are going to use my pieces you need to seek permission.

ABC content is subject to copyright. Our terms are outlined here http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm and here http://www.abc.net.au/copyright.htm

Here’s the relevant part: “6.2 The right to “copy” always remains with the owner of the material. Unless expressly stated otherwise, you are not permitted to copy or republish anything you find on the internet without the copyright owner’s permission.”

As I have discussed with you previously, I am happy for you to publish a headline and introduction to any of my pieces, provided you link through to ABC Environment for the remainder of the article. In this case you have republished the entirety of the article with an incorrect attribution link. It should have been: http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2011/05/05//3207844.htm

I’m pleased that you use ABC Environment as a source of news and I’m flattered that you wanted to republish my piece on Mike Hulme, but your reuse of our material is not acceptable.

Could I request an apology in your next newsletter and the attribution link corrected.

Best regards,

Sara

Sara Phillips

Editor, ABC Environment Online

Sara – as an ABC employee – is only doing her job (and doing it well). But I should explain to one and all – including the ABC – the process I go through with the fortnightly e-newsletter – which I must emphasise, is produced and distributed freely (without charge) to all readers around the world.

This is the first time in more than three years of producing abc carbon express – which started in March 2008 – that any person or organisation has formally objected to the use of an article in this way. (This is the 144th issue, so I estimate that I have utilised in this way approximately 3000 articles from hundreds of different media – print, broadcasting and online – in that time.

I should point out that what I have done with ABC articles is exactly what I do with articles from all sources.  A short introduction with headline appears in the body of the email newsletter. It doesn’t always mention the original source of the article there, but by clicking on Read More, the reader is taken to my website www.abccarbon.com  where the complete article (or articles) can be accessed.

There the article is fully attributed with the name of the author, the publication, the date, website  and clearly sourced. I do not always provide the direct link to the original article but abbreviate that the website of the relevant media – e.g.Source:  www.abc.net.au

I store the correctly sourced articles, so the reader can access the article and also go to the source for more information. Often I find that the source itself does not always keep articles in its own archive and make them accessible, for as long as I do. I am storing/archiving all articles which have appeared in abc carbon express from Issue 75 (September 2009).

So in the spirit of conciliation and not aggravation, could I – as one ABC to another – suggest that the public broadcaster needs to get on board the reality of the digital communication age. I receive by email on a daily basis hundreds of articles from dozens of sources – Making Environmental News, Wotnews, Google, Green Biz, Climate Spectator, among others. I read through as many of them as I can and select a few – usually a total of between 12 – 20 per issue – to draw attention to and use in my newsletter, in this way.

I selectively source subjects and articles which I think should interest my readers. The ABC should be honoured (as Sara obviously was) to have one of its articles selected (out of thousands I see in any fortnightly period).

I should also remind readers, the ABC and all other providers of news and content, that I do not ask anyone to pay to receive the newsletter – it is freely emailed to anyone who wants it or who provides me with a business card or email address. Neither do I receive income from advertising or any other source directly for the production and distribution of abc carbon express. It is a free service.

I should also remind the ABC that I have been a regular contributor to its programmes over the years. I have on many occasions been called in to be interviewed on ABC radio, to provide my views, opinions, and to add content to their programmes. I have not once received any payment from the ABC, or any other media for that matter, for contributing content in these ways.

I have also freely provided large extracts from my book “The ABC of Carbon” to be freely used by relevant online media. More than that, the complete book – all 188,000 words – can be viewed online with Amazon Kindle. You can also buy an e-book version!

So I will say that abc carbon express – produced and distributed as a free online services to people in Australia, Singapore and around the world – will continue to draw attention to and refer to articles from many media and other sources, and put them on my website, with adequate attribution and by providing a link to the original source website.

To avoid upsetting anyone again, I will undertake not to use any original content from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in my newsletter or website. And I will also be conveniently unavailable next time I am asked to contribute to any ABC programme. That’s only fair.

One final word: While we do try to run this as part of a commercial business, we will continue to freely accept and “publish” articles and releases from businesses and NGOs. We are also ready, willing and able to accept paid advertising, sponsorship or any other commercial arrangement, if in our humble opinion, the product, service or organisation is appropriate to abc carbon express.

As we say on our masthead, we provide a fortnightly  e-newsletter on “climate change issues and opportunities: clean technologies, energy efficiency, renewable energy, water, waste, environment management & sustainability”.

Source: www.abccarbon.com

Late again with this issue! But it has been a busy couple of weeks in Singapore with visitors from abroad – Aaron George, Tim Lebbon, David Solsky, Lewis Tyndall, Jochen Kleef, among others – plus a host of events small and large. The National Energy Efficiency Conference was a major one for us as Sustain Ability Showcase Asia was a “supporting organisation”. Meeting and greeting was the order of the day – days! – so we also attended Green Drinks, to hear of fascinating projects in South East Asia. Then to cap it off, I was the guest speaker at the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) AGM. The subject of my talk was “Does Sustainability Make Business Sense?” and set about to demonstrate that it is more than the triple bottom line. There are, in fact, four E’s to sustainability. I promise to turn it into an article one day, but if anyone is interested in a pdf of the presentation, email me.