"Cults use copyright infringement to silence whistleblowers"
This has been my personal experience trying to warn the public about RSE/JZK.Inc
cults use copyright infringement to silence whistleblowers
AI .. Yes, some cults and other groups have used copyright infringement lawsuits to silence critics, suppress embarrassing information, and censor public discourse. This tactic, known as "copyright silencing" or "weaponized copyright," exploits copyright law and online takedown mechanisms to target whistleblowers and former members.
How copyright silencing works
The strategy often involves a process that exploits both legal and technical vulnerabilities:
Asserting copyright: A group asserts copyright over internal documents, teachings, or other materials that former members have leaked to criticize the organization.
Sending takedown notices: The group sends DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notices to websites, social media platforms, and internet service providers (ISPs) that host the critical information.
Threatening legal action: The organization may threaten or file expensive copyright infringement lawsuits against whistleblowers, knowing that the legal costs can bankrupt critics, even if the case is weak.
Challenging "fair use": In the United States, groups may argue that a critic's use of their materials does not qualify as "fair use," a legal doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without permission. This forces critics into costly and risky legal battles.
Encouraging self-censorship: The threat of litigation and financial ruin is often enough to force critics into capitulation, removing the offending content and silencing their message.
Notable examples
Church of Scientology: The Church of Scientology is a long-documented example of a group that has used copyright infringement claims to target critics. In the 1990s and 2000s, it pursued internet activists who published internal documents, including the "Operating Thetan" materials. These efforts involved widespread DMCA takedown notices to YouTube and other platforms.
NXIVM: The multi-level marketing company and sex cult NXIVM filed a federal trade-secrets and copyright infringement lawsuit against the Ross Institute, which had published excerpts from NXIVM's secret training manual in a critical online report.
Big Cat Rescue: While not a cult, the owner of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin, used a similar copyright silencing tactic, as documented in the Tiger King series. She acquired the copyright to a photo of her rival, Joe Exotic, and then sued him for copyright infringement to suppress his criticism of her organization. The legal action ultimately bankrupted Exotic.
The impact on free speech
The practice of using copyright to silence critics is widely viewed as a threat to free speech and public discourse. Legal scholars and digital rights activists have noted that this weaponization of copyright law is fundamentally at odds with copyright's purpose, which is to encourage the dissemination of ideas.
Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have highlighted the need to defend fair use and challenge the misuse of copyright, describing it as a tool of censorship against artists and political dissenters.