What could possibly be more important in the US of A than the Super Bowl and religion?

You guessed it.

Respect for copyright.

Copyright law, it seems, trumps God and gridiron.

So - the NFL had told Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis that its plans for a Super Bowl watch party in front a big screen TV would be illegal.

This, and several other churches in Indiana canceled plans for communal viewing of the Super Bowl last Sunday.

The NFL forbids such violations of creators’ rights, even where there is no charge for admission. All I can say is that America must be proud to know that mass piracy, theft and flagrant disrespect of creators’ rights are being blocked before they infect the inner sanctums of Indiana churches on Super Bowl Sunday, probably the most sacred day of the year in the USA.

It's one thing to love football, religion, thy neighbor and one's home team. But respect for copyright must always come first.

Howard Knopf - Excess Copyright
[Knopf is an Ottawa-based copyright lawyer who's been lead counsel on legal challenges both at the Copyright Board and in the Courts against the excesses of the music industry establishment. He's regularly quoted in the mainstream media and acted against the CRIA in the file sharing litigation, and continues to act against the CPCC, in which the CRIA is still a major stakeholder, on the levy front.]

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