To: John Bachman of WSBTV

I just sent the following email to the guy on the video about online explosives. 

 

From: Joe Huffman
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 9:47 PM
To: John Bachman (john.bachman@wsbtv.com); ‘talk2us@wsbtv.com’
Subject: Please discontinue using my video.

 

Today I was informed of your video about the availability of online explosives (http://www.wsbtv.com/video/16266872/index.html). The last video clip you used from web sources was taken by me of my daughter Kim. You did not obtain permission to use that and I am requesting that you immediately stop using it.

 

In addition to the unauthorized use of my material you strongly imply we are using Tannerite or some other explosive available via online sources. This is false. The material used is of my own manufacture. I have a license issued by the ATF to manufacture high explosives and my daughter Kim is authorized by the ATF to handle explosives. To use her likeness and my product in your biased and even bigoted attack on a legal product used in a legal manner is exceedingly offensive to me and thousands of other people.

 

I can’t imagine what you were thinking. Would you show video of people using guns to legally hunt, shoot tin cans, or put holes in paper targets and then contact your congress because you were worried someone might use their guns to commit a terrorist act? Or how about showing someone having a glass of wine with dinner or drinking a beer in their backyard? Would you demand the government do something about this because of your concerns about drunk driving?

 

When I was growing up my family was able to, and did, buy dynamite, blasting caps, at the local hardware store with no special license or transportation requirements. We paid for it, picked it up out back, put in it in the trunk of the car and drove home with it.  That the average person can still acquire explosives easily, legally, and safely is a testament to what a great country we have. It shows that not only the government is subservient to its citizens but that its citizens are responsible and can be trusted.

 

If you had demonstrated these explosives were used in thousands of crimes each year I might think you had reason to be concerned. But you did not do this. You could have used that same product and those same video to show what a great country we have. You could have shown what unique freedoms we have and how those freedoms are not being abused and I would have gladly given you permission to use my video. Seattle King 5 Evening Magazine did that with this video: http://www.boomershoot.org/2005/KING5.wmv. But you didn’t do that. You merely demonstrated you are a Puritan–afraid that someone, someplace, is having fun.

 

 

Joe Huffman
Boomershoot Event Director

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8 thoughts on “To: John Bachman of WSBTV

  1. Whether or not they cease and desist have your lawyer send them a cover letter containing a licensing fee.

    That footage is your copyrighted material. Whether or not it was labelled as such, and presumably it was sourced from YouTube or some video aggregating site without notification, does not make it public domain.

    I recall not too long ago paying $1000 a second to license some footage from ESPN and that wasn’t even for broadcast, so that sounds like a fair starting point to me.

    It’s already been aired, so they owe you for that use of the footage. No two ways about it.

    Joe

  2. They took the video down.

    Hopefully this will get the crap for brains journalist to notice about how much fun, and ZERO CRIMES are associated with events like Boomershoot and Knob Creek.

    Jim

  3. Nicely done, Joe.
    I see the video no longer plays, either.

    I can’t wait to see their public apology not only for using you material, but being hysterical bigots, too.

    I’ll just start holding my breath now… 😉

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