# You can't broadcast the "I Have A Dream" speech--True or False? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144 "2013-08-25T18:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/21 "2013-08-26T23:46:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > For what it’s worth, it looked to me like he directly contradicted what you said— which seemed to imply that Google couldn’t keep up with copyright violations because they didn’t have enough manpower to do it manually, and their automatic scanning system can’t detect content that was purposefully altered. > > \*\*Musicat \*\*said a) they don’t do it manually anyway and b) yes it can. Well if he said it in one sentence like that instead of 98 maybe I would have gotten the message. For the record, I was demonstrating that it was _impossible_ for Google to manually screen videos; I wasn’t seriously suggesting they even tried. I thought people would get the implication. As for point b), we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. It’s pretty easy to sneak past the filters if you know how, although maybe my post made it sound a bit easier than it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/22 "2013-08-27T03:50:47Z")
Plus apparently a lot of copyright holders, rather than fighting with takedowns, simply claim ownership and YouTube sends _them_ the ad revenue… Which led to a recent scam where people set up dummy corporations and claimed copyright to random postings. If the poster contested the claim, they simply dropped it, but they probably got a decent amount of money from people who didn’t’ bother to contest the claims. SO it’s possible every time you watch MLK an angel pushes a cash register button. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/23 "2013-08-27T13:25:11Z")
What I find really despicable is that the King family was paid over $800,000 for various things related to the construction of the MLK memorial in DC. I can’t believe the people in charge of building the monument did not simply say “Never Mind.” ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/24 "2013-08-27T14:42:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [The King family does hold a copyright on the speech, and that copyright will last another 25 years.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream#Copyright_dispute) [rant]My bet is it’ll last a lot longer than that, as Disney lobbies to get the term extended every time Mickey is about to expire. Buh-Bye, public domain! Thanks, Disney![/rant] ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/25 "2013-08-27T15:47:56Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > I wonder how much the rights cost to play the speech on an episode of the “Cosby Show” cost. Is it on the DVD? I’m picturing a WKRP-like scenario where the speech is replaced with ‘good enough’ generic filler material to avoid licensing issues 😃 ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/26 "2013-08-27T22:33:57Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > … > > I’m picturing a WKRP-like scenario where the speech is replaced with ‘good enough’ generic filler material to avoid licensing issues 😃 Gotta ask - what is going on with WKRP? Beyond “Turkeys Away” and the ever-popular “Jennifer vs. Bailey”, what else is of interest, and how is it causing games-with-copyright? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/27 "2013-08-27T22:51:40Z")
WKRP in Cincinnati? The television series set at a _radio station_ that included songs played by deejay during the episodes? You can’t see how getting rights to release the series on DVD with the music intact might be a little complicated? Edited to add, remember that when the series was created and filmed, no one thought that anyone would want to sell episodes or entire seasons to consumers for in-home watching (I think this predated the videotape), so the rights that were negotiated for the music didn’t include resale. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/28 "2013-08-28T01:34:30Z")
On The Rachel Maddow Show, they just said that MSNBC has “moved Heaven and Earth” to get permission/rights/etc to air the entire speech on Wednesday, at 8pm EST. And they just played a commercial for it, too. I set my DVR. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/29 "2013-08-28T01:40:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > WKRP in Cincinnati? The television series set at a _radio station_ that included songs played by deejay during the episodes? You can’t see how getting rights to release the series on DVD with the music intact might be a little complicated? > > Edited to add, remember that when the series was created and filmed, no one thought that anyone would want to sell episodes or entire seasons to consumers for in-home watching (I think this predated the videotape), so the rights that were negotiated for the music didn’t include resale. There’s been only season of WKRP released on DVD, and that had virtually all music replaced with generic filler. As you might imagine sales took a nosedive once the word got out. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144/30 "2013-08-29T01:13:00Z")
One of my local tv stations started their 5:30 p.m. newscast today with a video of the entire speech. They did not say how much the license may have cost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-broadcast-the-i-have-a-dream-speech-true-or-false/667144.md?page=1)