Newsgroups: clari.feature.dave_barry,clari.feature.mike_royko From: brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton) Subject: Dave Barry, Mike Royko columns no longer on ClariNet We regret to announce that on the orders of Knight-Ridder Tribune and its Tribune Media Services Division, we will cease publishing the Dave Barry column and the Mike Royko column effective June 23, 1994. Recently Knight Ridder has become concerned that there is too much information piracy on the net. While the exact source of their information has not been disclosed, reportedly a subscriber to Dave Barry via ClariNet sent a copy of a column, presumably by E-mail, to a non-subscriber mailing list, where it then reached a Knight-Ridder employee who reported it to executives at Knight-Ridder. They assume -- and perhaps not incorrectly -- that if they see this once or twice it is happening many more times. They have thus ordered that we cease publication of these features. We are working right now on appropriate replacement features, which we will announce when they become available. One new feature to begin shortly is the "Annals of Improbable Research" -- a new publication from the former staff of the Journal of Irreproducible Results, a respected magazine of scientific comedy. E-mail subscribers will receive a note shortly regarding refunds and credit towards other products. As you might assume, we are very concerned that the presence of piracy on the net and particular that piracy with Dave Barry columns has soured a major information provider like Knight-Ridder on the idea of publishing on the net. Some people, who no doubt rationalized that "they weren't hurting anybody" have unfortunately ruined it not just for us, but for everybody. Our position is that our legitimate publication of the column along with our constant efforts to encourage people to respect copyright on the net actually help reduce the problem rather than contribute to it, and thus Knight-Ridder is making an incorrect judgement in this case. However it is certainly true that there is some piracy and that our publication has been the resource used by some of those who stole the columns, and so they are within their rights. In addition, they are concerned that even our legitimate electronic publication may interfere with their lucrative print market, if print newspapers are losing subscribers due to electronic availability of the columns, pirate or legitimate -- or even if newspapers *perceive* they are losing subscribers. Please note that this was NOT Dave Barry's decision. He would like to see legitimate electronic publication of his column but the syndication of his material is something not under his direct control. He is looking into the matter but is extremely busy (for example he is right now on the road promoting a new book.) I would suggest that people not contact him (E-mail or otherwise) on this issue. Jane Scholz of Knight-Ridder Tribune has indicated that comments may be sent to her at: Jane Scholz Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services 790 National Press Building Washington, D.C. 20045 She does not have an E-mail address. I have created the E-mail box krt@clarinet.com, and after a week I will print it out and mail it to her. If you write, be aware that they know the points I have stated above about piracy, and they know that our subscribers will be upset. While little good comes from this, we hope that this experience will teach people to respect the other information products that we publish to the net community. If information providers decide the net is a place where piracy of their material is tolerated, they won't allow access by people here. ClariNet has worked for years to bring this information in at prices far below anything seen before, so that illicit redistribution should not be necessary. If you see copyrighted material distributed on the net, chastise the person doing it. If it's material we published, report it to us at reward@clarinet.com. - - -- Brad Templeton, publisher, ClariNet Communications Corp. The net's #1 electronic newspaper (circulation 60,000) -- info@clarinet.com