Cement Shoes for a Website? Union Threatens AFTexposed.com
by Kyle OlsonWhen we at the Education Action Group Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, non-profit organization, launched AFTexposed.com this fall to examine the agenda, finances and tactics of the American Federation of Teachers, little did we realize we would draw such an immediate, ugly response.
On Friday, October 9, we received a threatening letter from the AFT’s general counsel (which was carbon copied to AFT President Randi Weingarten), demanding we immediately stop using the acronym ‘AFT’ anywhere on the site, effectively neutering it, and turn over the domain registration to the union. [See the letter here.] How can we have a website completely dedicated to analyzing the AFT and its agenda if we aren’t allowed to use the acronym ‘AFT?’
It was an outrageous attempt to squelch our First Amendment rights to voice our opinions, which are based in fact.
For example, the site breaks down the financial reports, known as LM-2 filings, that the AFT is required to submit to the federal Department of Labor. The reports detail union income and expenditures, including staff and leadership compensation, lobbying expenses, and political advocacy donations.
We’re sure the AFT, the country’s second-largest teachers’ union, is not thrilled that we’re bringing attention to the fact that earlier this year, it gave nearly $50,000 to the embattled radical group ACORN, which has been accused of offenses ranging from voter registration fraud, questionable use of tax dollars and aiding a presumed pimp and prostitute to secure a home for apparently illegal purposes. That information came from the LM-2 report, found on the site.
Prior to 2009, AFTexposed.com has been able to account for nearly $1.3 million in teacher dues dollars going to support ACORN’s activities.
The American Federation of Teachers apparently will stop at nothing to squash dissent. We will stand up to its attempt to silence us and neuter our website.
The AFT will have to figure out a way to put a website in cement shoes to make it disappear. But maybe we shouldn’t be giving them any ideas.
It’s not as if we can’t take what we dish out. A different teachers union, in our home state of Michigan, has already launched an “exposed”-type site focusing on attacking us personally, as well as our work. We would never seek to stomp on that union’s First Amendment rights to critique us and our small organization, because that’s the American way. Yet that’s precisely what the AFT is attempting to do to us.
For being so well known for bullying school administrators and school boards at bargaining time, it turns out the elephant really is afraid of the mouse.
A response letter, written by Clark M. Neily III of the Institute for Justice, can be viewed here.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SavageNews and DRIP USA, AZ grassroots. AZ grassroots said: Cement Shoes for a Website? Union Threatens AFTexposed.com http://bit.ly/Dt0sW #dripusa #ocra #tcot [...]
If the acronym AFT is copyrighted, they may have a case. They know they can't sue for libel/slander if it's all public records, so they are going in a roundabout way.
Randi Weingarten, she is Bertha Lewis' "sista from another mista……………"
Think back a few weeks, remeber the Bertha Lewis video…….
I'm not sure if an anacronym can be copyrighted when describing an organization? A product I can understand, like LED (light emitting diode).
I can't imagine any legal justification as to how the AFT can stop anyone from using their anacronym? That is assuming that our laws have any merit…besides, anacronym or not, everyone knows who is being referenced.
I'm sure the Education Action Group Foundation will be labeled as racist's before it's over…<sigh>
Glenn Beck tried to get http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990…. taken down using legal channels. Not sure where it stands in the legal process, but the stie is still up.
Goldman Sachs tried to get GoldmanSachs666.com taken down. It still functions (with lots of disclosures and disclaimers letting readers know the site is not connected to Goldman). As Barry Rithlotz at the Big Picture Blog pointed out when Goldman threatend the blogger with legal action:
"Now, the taxpayer subsidized disaster creator (i.e., Goldman) is thin skinned about criticism. Note that the trademark claim is bullsh*t — its well settled law, via WalmartSucks.com. This 2000 case was originally found in favor of Wal-Mart by World Intellectual Property Organization but later reversed. Walmartsucks.com is no longer operating, but a new site, Walmartsucks.org appears to be run by author Kenneth J. Harvey. As another example of the legality of the “–sucks.com” sites, see also, disney-sucks.com."
I'm not an attorney, so don't take this as legal advise. Just passing it along.
This is not a war that will be won easily, nor without a fight. Those people, those UNION thugs, those leeched who have suckled at the teat of free money for generations will not leave with a simple invitation. They must be exposed. Shine the light of day on their nefarious manipulations. The Solution to Pollution is Dilution.
"sista from another mista……………"
Just what the hell does that mean? Have her and her sister been screwing their father or is her mother such a whore that each of her children have a different father?
Black culture is so confusing to me.
I'm not a lawyer, but wouldn't using AFT in a website name fall under "fair use"?
We need to shine a light on these unions that funnel money to corrupt organizations like ACORN. Bravo to Mr. Olsen.
Well,
I don't rightly know, as I was never versed in Ebonics. I think it is ghetto speak. They all tend to speak like that when speaking to, or reaching out to the "homie" audiences.
It is further confusing, because Randy Randi Weingarten is white and Jewish. Perhaps there is a Whoopi Goldburg connection?
It is hard to trace the roots fully.
Union thugs don't scare us. All you "thuggies" out there reading this best remember that! Got it?
[...] It was an outrageous attempt to squelch our First Amendment rights to voice our opinions, which are based in fact. via biggovernment.com [...]
Let me see if I understand their argument. You have a website which they say falsely portrays their positions on virtually everything they have a position on. And people will then be confused by your use of those three letters. Somehow people will think all of the negative things you say about the AFT are actually endorsed by the AFT.
Still scratching my head over this. As someone involved with neither organization, I am not confused in the least. I would observe though, that the logic in their argument goes a long way in explaining the sorry state of American public schools.
They might have a case for their logo but the website is not a competing union and no reasonable person would mistake AFTexposed for the actual AFT site. With only 26 letters in alphabet I don't think you can lay claim to three of them for your exclusive us.
If the AFT could stop someone else from using the same set of letters, then probably the NEA (National Education Association, nea.org) could stop the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts, nea.gov) from using the NEA accronym. AFT should also go after the American Farmland Trust. Right now, a Google search for AFT does not pop your site, but the more the AFT goes after you, the more it will happen. They are raising your visibility.
First letter is always the threat…………..Is that all you got? Somehow……. AFT and AFTexposed are very, very different. AFT promotes and commits coruption and AFTexposed is the watch group.
So in my Perry Mason inpersination, "See you in court Counseler!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Juli and Big Government, Big Government. Big Government said: Cement Shoes for a Website? Union Threatens AFTexposed.com: When we at the Education Action Group Foundation, a.. http://tinyurl.com/ylobqlg [...]
Curious. The unions are fine with their backing of walmartsucks.org and other Marxist critiques of corporate entities. Turnabout isn't fair play?
They don't like the use of "AFT" because it is easy to find and probably comes up in a google search for the AFT. However, the libs over at Google are probably working on fixing the search results to make sure if doesn't come up right now.
It tells you something about the AFT….they lie and they don't want their members to know what they are all about. There are plenty of sites that track union corruption. And, at my workplace the AFT is complaining that the employer isn't being transparent. This is just another example among many of how the AFT doesn't like transparancy or anyone looking at what they are doing. They are a group of left-wing thugs, no different than the SEIU.
Best to lawyer up and fire back a legal response.
It's amazing to see being played out since Obama's inauguration Chicago style political thuggery on a national scale. Obama and his lefty minions have crossed far too many First Amendment boundaries in such a short period of time. What's even more amazing is the press, certainly not oblivious to this, on the sidelines completely mute. And they wonder why we find them irrelevant. Even if they ever do recover a sense of fairness and ethical responsibility it is now far too late.
I read through that letter they sent you. I'm sorry, but AFT.org and AFTexposed.com don't seem remotely similar in the sense that "exposed" means EXPOSED.
Their response is silly.
Titles cannot be copyrighted.
The Obama administration, being in bed with unions and ACORN and every other form of corruption, has nurtured an atmosphere of hate and division more than any other I have experienced my my 68 years. My prayer is that he can not do so much damage it can not be reversed in the next election. The left-wing radicals know their time is limited. That is why they are in such a rush to shut down Fox News, pass Cap and Tax, and government take over of business and health care. America to Amerka…and not a shot fired!
Really
They could care less about this web site
What they HATE is the truth and being "exposed"
So will the AFT be taking legal action against the American Farmland Trust, Americans for Fair Taxation, Association Française du Titanic (French: French Titanic Society), Agence France Tresor (French Treasury), Alabama Family Ties, Applied Foundation Testing, Inc., Apostolic Faith Tabernacle, Arizona Federation of Taxpayers, Association of Free Traders among others?
IBM is the company name. They did succedd in protecting their nickname Big Blue.
If we ask people on the street what AFT stands for, they may ROTFLOL Say what???
adverb: at, close to, or toward the stern or tail: Stow the luggage aft. · adjective: situated toward or at the stern or tail: The aft sail was luffing.
I can't see boat brochures being restricted in the use of a common word.
aftsucks dot com is available?
Walmart suks.com is still up?
welcome to the Crook County Thugocracy…
Unleashed upon an unaware- and largely undeserving world. OK, so North Korea and Iran deserve it. Actually, they already have it. On a slightly larger but no less venal scale.
Yes, threats will be made. Followed by harassment, intimidation and sporadic physical violence. As Andy Stern, SEIU's fearless leader said 'We believe in the power of persuasion. We also believe in the persuausion of power'.
Take them at their word…
I wonder if Applied Flow Technology (http://www.aft.com) will sue American Federation of Teachers (http://www.aft.org) for infringement of AFT in the URL name ??
About the unions.They are a cancer.That's why they only represent 8% of the workforce.Which is one of the many reasons why having Obama and the democrats in charge is so dangerous.Unions are throwing their weight around now because of Obama.The SEIU a government workers union is run by Wayne Rathke{local 100},the brother of Dale Rathke who embezzled 5million dollars from Acorn and was never charged.If unions are allowed to get any more power than they already have this economy will crash even worse than it already has.
Good thing they didn't confuse the letters with ATF or FBI or we'd have Waco all over again.
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Getting sued? Good news!
There's going to be lots of free publicity and your attorneys can have a load of fun during discovery. I wonder if they considered that by suing you they are essentially promoting your web site.
Suggestion:
Rename AFTexposed.com to mm-mm-mm-exposed.com
AFTexposed. Do not allow this legal warning to subvert your attention from your objective. It' s a silly fight.. Simply change the domain to FATexposed.com More appropriate anyway…. Get back to business !
Surely pain and anguish
25 million?
FYI … The AFT does have a valid position on the Logo and Shield artifact and should comply with at least that part of the request, however Domain Names cannot be owned or copyrighted … they are leased for periods of time. Anyone can register a name if it is not in use. If AFT really wants to own AFTexposed.com, I would recommend that the owners of that domain set a price that they are willing to let the domain go for ($MM), then use those funds to start a nationwide advertising campaign against the AFT.
sorry … that was meant to be a new comment, not a reply.
it means she is the half sister . same bio-dad.must've been raised the same way to come out making the same excuses
I always thought Obama was a one term prez too. Enjoy the pot and bankruptsy. It will never happen again. We all know now what happens when you let the hippies take over. Utter mayhem and no fear from Russia N Korea and China
I'm sure they will bring that up next picket line
There is not and infringement issue first http://www.ATFexposed.com is one world and http://www.atf.org is a separate world altogether now laws broken. The only confusion is in the persons head that stated that, and secondly that letter, was the worst written letter I’ve ever seen.
Keep stating the truth and we will defeat the corruption in this government and it’s puppets.
Unions are nothing but THUGS!
Thats why the mafia was/is so involved with them
haha, just Google, aft.com and you'll see a while host of aft sites…
Union thugs. Of course they are afraid; of course they have something to hide.
I know teachers that literally HATE being in the union and wish they had an alternative. If only they would speak to each other and fight them from within.
AFT is a non profit organization, no? If they are and using taxpayer dollars…GAME ON…..
The alleged aggrieved party (AFT) has an attorney whose cover letter is more than 1 1/3 pages which is the norm as far a demands go. This reads "panic" between the lines in legal speak. If they are foolish enough to file a complaint, respond to the complaint then file a cross complaint as to malicious prosecution as will be deemed frivolous and demand a jury trial! They pay attorney's fess, court costs and whatever punitive, compensatory "tort" damages sustained. Tell Strom, Esq., to put a sock in it and take em down.
Tina
Just change yours A F T : Americans For Transparency!
No, same mother……."sista from another mista" ……sister from another mister. But that makes no sense to anyone who speaks conventional English. Perhaps it's Ebonics for SHE'S MY CLONE, or some such.
Wait till the unions are able to organize all health care workers. Millions upon millions of dollars will flow to the Marxist Democratic Party. If they get health care passed and the government takes health care over there will be no stopping the Marxist democrats. We need more web sites and exposure like this onto the unions. It is the only way to stop them….they are evil.
Kill all the teachers! Nothing but pawns for commies!
jjs>they have started to do that already nurses already there, and some of the others that work in health care. We the people need to make sure we find all the corruption in the unions and bring it to the front so people can take action and bring them to their knees.
The aft is so messed up and they are running scared and yes as some have put they don't know what else to do except scream that they are the ones being wronged, fat chance of that.
I can sum it all up in one word: Intimidation
"It would be a shame if your house burned down, wouldn't it?" – the OLD SCHOOL way
"If we have so much teacher's union dues we can throw $1Million at ACORN, we can surely spare enough of their 'hard-earned' wages tying you up in court for 10 years" – the MODERN way
Well, with the Net Neutrality Act coming up, and the government's move to take over ALL communications outlets, they'll be no more ways to speak out against them. Hugo Chavez may well get next year's Nobel Prize.
Hey, it's not AFT-EXPOSED. It's AFTEX-POSED. Anyone can see that!!
I don't believe you can copyright the alphabet. I, and many others, still use the letters I, B and M all the time. I have never received a nasty letter from "Big Blue" for doing it. You can trademark a "style" (graphic logo, color(s), etc.) that feature the letters. But you can't keep anyone from using certain letters of the alphabet.
[...] saved 250K jobs Union jobs Financial Giants Donating Little to Obama Party Democrats bit big hands Cement Shoes for a Website? Union Threatens AFTexposed.com Looks like that website struck a nerve Even Left Groups Mobilize Against A Government Takeover of [...]
IT'S THE LOGO. JUST CHANGE THE SHAPE OF IT A LITTLE. A CEASE & DESIST IS A WARNING. CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THE LOGO AND REPOSITION THE TYPE AND SAY (A ACTION UNION ON TEACHERS)
GREAT WORK, WEE NEED TO EXPOSE ALL OF ACORNS LEACHES.
Use for criticism is fair use.
[...] posting over on the Big Government blog details recent attempts by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to shut down the website at [...]
AFT is very frequently used to mean the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. I thought this article was going to be about that gov’t. office when I saw the headline of article.
Hey!! I'm forced to pay union dues to this bunch of jerks. Think how that feels.
[...] old, same old we’ve been talking about since forever (via Glenn): A posting over on the Big Government blog details recent attempts by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to shut down the website at [...]
[...] TRIES TO STIFLE WEBSITE: Cement Shoes for a Website? Union Threatens AFTexposed.com. The forces of “uhhhhh” are strong within the [...]
[...] David Post at Volokh, a nastygram sent by the American Federation of Teachers to the critical site [...]
[...] union’s name in its blog title. The American Federation of Teachers had its lawyers send a cease and desist letter to the operators of a blog called [...]
Every single Western European country has a 'unionized' public education system providing a higher level of high-school education than available in the US. Private school systems are almost non-existent because they are not needed – the public systems are very good.
What makes the US so special that your evil commie unions are single handedly ruining your education system?
Oh wait .. its funding!
US government funding of public education systems lags well behind most Western countries. Couldn't be the cause could it? Maybe if you didn't account for 50% of total global military expenditure you could afford to educate your own kids …. (but i suppose owning guns IS pretty important after all)
right wing loonies the lot of you …
They already are. Check out CNA/NNOC – California Nurses Association. They came out of nowhere and are organizing.
[...] union’s name in its blog title. The American Federation of Teachers had its lawyers send a cease and desist letter to the operators of a blog called [...]
Me 2!
[...] think that the unions representing them do silly things — like AFT president Randi Weingarten sending a cease-and-desist letter to a group that uses the acronym AFT all over its website … or maybe any question about [...]
"AFT" cannot be copyrighted. There are numerous groups that use the acronym, such as the "American Farmland Trust", "Atech Flash Technology", etc; just Google "AFT" and see.
They're trying to do what liberals ALWAYS do: threaten and intimidate their opponents.
Let them call everyone "racist", it's almost become a joke now. I truly feel bad for those suffering from actual racism.
Меня это не беспокоит.
[...] we received a threatening letter a few days ago from the American Federation of Teachers over AFTexposed.com, we knew it was little more than [...]
AFT1GooDDaDDY.badass
There I said it.
So sue me.
Not Over.
"Maybe if you didn't account for 50% of total global military expenditure you could afford to educate your own kids …. "
…and maybe if we DID scale back our global military expenditure, perhaps these "Western countries" of which you speak would be forced to spend some of their education and social entitlement money to defend their own countries… (but I suppose mandated 35 hour work weeks ARE pretty important after all.)
I can afford to educate my own kids, CommieEuropean, if I don't also have to protect yours.
Ha .. defend us from what exactly? The Cold War is over. That leaves what .. terrorism and China?. The later would far prefer to trade their way to the top and with their massive holdings of US debt could ruin the US economy rather than start a shooting war if they needed to. The former – terrorists – are rooted largely on US/UK meddling in the Middle East for the last 100 years. Yeah they are extremists but you forget the CIA actually trained and armed most of these groups we* are now fighting in Afghanistan.
* yes Australia has troops there too .. although i do wonder why seeing as no-one ever tried staging terrorist attacks on our citizens until we jumped into Afghanistan alongside the US.
Интересно, развейте..! )
[...] takes on the second largest teachers union in the country at AFTexposed.com. AFT isn’t happy. BigGovernment isn’t [...]
Конечно, никогда нельзя быть уверенным.
Ну и чё с ними делать… Меня достали на моём блоге я устала вычищать…
There's a big difference between accusing someone of a heinous crime they did not commit and criticizing an organization with the truth. The first is libel and is illegal and immoral. The second is fair use and is the American Way.
Even if the Copyright statement is true, it is perfectly legal to use it for criticism – which is unquestionably what this site is doing. Its call Fair Use. Look it up.
A claim of breaching Copyright does not make it true. What is more likely is that they are just throwing mud in the vain hope that some of it sticks, or at least causes this site to shut up and go away..
I have to agree with you on this one, it is nearly always the case.
Other variant is possible also
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don't afraid from threat and don't stop fighting AFK buddy, keep on going!
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