Update: We’ve just received an email from Thomson Reuters, stating that the letter was sent to us in error. We hope that, in future, explicit permission is sought in every instance, not just in our case.

Dear Nikhil

On 20 August 2014, Thomson Reuters sent you a letter regarding the use of certain content on your website. The letter you received was sent in error. No content will be used without your express permission. We apologise for the error.

Kind regards

Kate Brown

Updated below with an email we sent to Thomson Reuters (just for fun)

We received an email from Thomson Reuters last evening, informing us that unless we write back to them in 14 days denying them the use of our articles, they will take the lack of refusal, as an indication of consent to use them. What’s more, they will presume that we have given them the “right to use, incorporate and distribute the Content in its Services to its subscribers and to permit such subscribers to use and redistribute the Content.”

This is unprofessional and unethical of Thomson Reuters: A lack of refusal to consent does not amount to giving consent, and I doubt that this rationale will hold up in the court of law.

The email (copied below, with email address details redacted) appears to be a templated one, which suggests that it might have been sent to others as well. What if the email is sent to an address that is rarely used? That’s one easy way for Thomson Reuters to presume consent (even if not valid).

It’s one thing for a blog to incorrectly presume that if they link to the source of an article or a photo, copying it is kosher (it isn’t), quite another for Thomson Reuters to start copying and distributing articles without explicit consent. For a company of its history and stature, and one which has built its business on the basis of respect for copyright, to presume that rights have been given in this manner speaks rather poorly of its current approach to business.

This Venn diagram now makes sense:

Either Reuters is paintfully honest, or the designer didn’t understand Venn diagrams (via Reddit) pic.twitter.com/Ct443C3taP — Milly Shaw (@millyshaw) August 17, 2014

We have denied Thomson Reuters the use of our articles (which they have acknowledged), and informed them that we will be writing about this request from them.

*

The email we got from Reuters (with email address details redacted):

from: n***********@thomsonreuters.com

to: releases@medianama.com

date: Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 6:19 PM

subject: Thomson Reuters – use of your website content

August 20, 2014

MediaNama

MixedBag Media Pvt. Ltd.

20 A Rajpur Road,

Civil Lines, Delhi-110054

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thomson Reuters – use of your website content

Thomson Reuters is a global provider of electronic information, committed to providing our customers with comprehensive, timely and reliable information. Our services include the provision of key financial market content to the largest and most diverse group of financial market participants in the world. Our business customers, who include analysts, fund managers, corporate financiers and traders, watch news and prices on more than 300,000 screens linked to a secure private communications network spanning more than 150 countries.

We are writing to seek your consent to use and redistribute certain content from your website (the “Content”), in particular, articles that pertains to companies that have received investment funding from Private Equity firms and other Private Equity related articles, within Thomson Reuters services (the “Services”). For the purpose of this letter Thomson Reuters means the Thomson Reuters Group.1 We may use automated tools in order to identify and obtain such content from your website.

As such the Thomson Reuters group shall have the right to use, incorporate and distribute the Content in its Services to its subscribers and to permit such subscribers to use and redistribute the Content. We are aware that you will be receiving numerous requests of this nature and that asking you to give a response in each case would be burdensome for you. We would ask, therefore, that you respond either to the address or e-mail address given below within 14 days of the date at the head of this letter only if you wish to refuse your consent. Otherwise, Thomson Reuters will presume that your consent has been given for the purposes set out in this letter. Performance by Thomson Reuters under this letter will constitute adequate consideration for the purposes of this letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information; for questions and clarifications, you may contact Maria Nikka De Vera, Research Analyst – Private Equity at n***********@thomsonreuters.com.

Yours Faithfully,

Kate Brown

Head of Content Acquisition – EMEA

Reuters Limited

1 “Thomson Reuters Group” shall mean any company from time to time under the control of, controlling or under common control with the entity signing this letter and also includes any third party from time to time authorised by Thomson Reuters. For the avoidance of doubt, Thomson Reuters Group shall also include The Thomson Reuters Corporation and any entity from time to time, that is directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with Thomson Reuters Corporation. An entity will be deemed to control another entity if it has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of an entity, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

***

Update: We sent Thomson Reuters a similar mail, just for fun:

from: Nikhil Pahwa <nikhil@medianama.com>

to: n**********@thomsonreuters.com

date: Thu, Aug 21, 2014 at 11:03 AM

subject: MediaNama – use of your website content

August 21, 2014

Thomson Reuters

3 Times Square

New York, New York 10036

Dear Sir/Madam,

MediaNama – use of your website content

This is in response to your email to us regarding the usage of MediaNama content, presuming consent unless we refused it. Since that is a principle that Thomson Reuters appears to believe in, we thought we would adopt a similar principle regarding usage of your content.

MediaNama is the premier source of news and analysis on the telecom and digital ecosystem in India, committed to providing our readers with comprehensive, timely and reliable information, analysis and perspective on the digital ecosystem. Our services include the provision of key digital industry news and analysis to some of the largest and most diverse group of digital industry participants in India. Our readers, who include venture capitalists, digital industry CXO’s and executives, telecom operator executives, policy wonks, financial analysts, fund managers, corporate financiers, and traders, read news and information on more than 100,000 screens (desktops and mobiles) linked to a sometimes secure communications network (called the Internet) spanning more than 150 countries.

We are writing to seek your consent to use and redistribute certain content from your website (the “Content”), in particular, articles that pertain to the global digital (Internet and Mobile) industry, within MediaNama services (the “Services”). For the purpose of this letter MediaNama means the MediaNama Group.1 We may use automated tools in order to identify and obtain such content from your website.

As such the MediaNama group shall have the right to use, incorporate and distribute the Content in its Services to its subscribers and visitors and to permit such subscribers to use and redistribute the Content. We are aware that you will be receiving numerous requests of this nature and that asking you to give a response in each case would be burdensome for you. We would ask, therefore, that you respond either to the address or e-mail address given below within 14 days of the date at the head of this letter only if you wish to refuse your consent. Otherwise, MediaNama will presume that your consent has been given for the purposes set out in this letter. Performance by MediaNama under this letter will constitute adequate consideration for the purposes of this letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information; for questions and clarifications, you may contact Nikhil Pahwa, Editor & Publisher at nikhil@medianama.com.

Please also do share this email with Kate Brown, Head of Content Acquisition – EMEA, Reuters Limited.

Yours Faithfully,

Nikhil Pahwa

Editor, Publisher and part-time Head of Content Acquisition – World

Mixed Bag Media Private Limited

__________________________________________________________________________

1 “MediaNama Group” (Mixed Bag Media Private Limited) shall mean any company from time to time under the control of, controlling or under common control with the entity signing this letter and also includes any third party from time to time authorised by MediaNama Group. For the avoidance of doubt, MediaNama Group shall also include MediaNama and any entity from time to time, that is directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with MediaNama. An entity will be deemed to control another entity if it has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of an entity, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.