Olympic Committe Rules Revealed: No Posting of Media Allowed
Recently, the International Olympic Committee announced that they would allow athletes and other accredited persons to blog at the Olympics in August. The committee decided that this would be allowed, since blogs are a form of personal expression, and not a form of journalism. That's great, except for one small problem...with the recent release of the official guidelines, bloggers are finding some very strict rules in place. Specifically, the rules prohibit the posting of still pictures, sound, or moving images.
Over at Nir Ofir's blog, he has posted the actual letter sent to him by the IOC. On the first page, the rules seem promising, welcoming bloggers by stating that they are not considered journalists:
"The IOC does not consider that blogs by Accredited Persons, in accordance with these Guidelines, will compromise Paragraph 3 of Bye-law to Rule 49 of the Olympic Charter which states that “Only those persons accredited as media may act as journalists, reporters or in any other media capacity."
However, on page two, the guidelines specify that posting of sound, moving images, and still pictures is not permitted. This guidelines apply to any Olympic events, including the "sporting actions" themselves, the ceremonies, or any other activities that require an "Olympic identity or ticket."
So, they are basically permitting you to post text only? What is this, 1995? So much for user-gen content, it seems. May we then suggest that 2008 becomes the year of the twittered Olympics instead?
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This is not done.
Blogging is a definite medium of one's thoughts and expressions towards an event but images and sounds(often) make the expressions appear clear to the readers.
Posted by: Prashant Sharma | February 20, 2008 3:23 PM
What makes them think they can enforce this kind of thing??
Chinese Red Guards will arrest/beat up anyone with a cell phone in their hand?? With a videocam in their hand?? Like with the Falun Gong protests??
It will be very difficult or impossible to enforce this, and Twitter should start bulking up NOW!! :) :)
Anonymizing services will facilitate blogging, someone will by August have figured out how to set up reasonably safe and semi-secure anonymous blogging or twittering of some kind.
Unless China plans to also block all cell phone and Internet access etc. with a new Great Wall??
The more people who figure out how to circumvent these archaically invented rules, the better!!
VIVA BLOGGERS!!
Posted by: Tom | February 20, 2008 3:45 PM
The reason that they can enforce this is that it is actually a private event, and not a public one, so they can impose whatever rules they like..
But......what's to stop the Accredited Blogger stepping outside the 'Accredited Zone' and taking the photo or video and publishing it.
You can bet your bottom dollar that people who are attending the Olympics as spectators will be shooting photos and videos and blogging it all..
Posted by: Matt Packer | February 20, 2008 4:25 PM
Sorry Sarah, IOC can't control the net in china. Its hardly possible for them to ban cellphones in any of events :(-
My last intel is that the GFW is coming down..
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/02/06/great-firewall-china-come
Posted by: /pd | February 20, 2008 7:34 PM
I still think it provides a fantastic opportunity for a daring athlete to challenge the Chinese government and their censoring of the net...but video and photos would of course be good...Maybe Ascii Art ;)
http://www.ronnestam.com/2008/02/18/olympic-committee-allows-blogging-from-beijing-but/
Posted by: Johan Ronnestam | February 21, 2008 5:15 AM
they are just the rules in word, not in action. IOC reserve the right to sue blogers if they cross the line. But in reality, it is far away from they will execute the right.
It is unfortunate to say, but such actions just further weaken copyright awareness. You know, people will gradually be used to (we probably are already) ignore ipr issue when infringement is our every day practice.
Posted by: yenching | February 21, 2008 6:24 AM
It's unfortunate that this issue is being tied to the Beijing Olympics because a lot of people are going to start spinning it as yet another attempt to control the media by the Chinese communist thought police.
This is the IOC's decision, the "I" standing for "International." It's not an issue of Chinese communist censorship,in fact it's the opposite. It's an an example of western capitalism and how it can also affect people's freedom to communicate. (In my opinion)
Posted by: Rian
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February 21, 2008 10:56 AM