Creation Science Evangelism

Creation Science Evangelism (CSE) is a Young Earth Creationist ministry founded in 1989 by Kent Hovind, who led the organization until his tax evasion conviction and incarceration in 2006. His son Eric Hovind has since assumed control of the ministry and its creationist theme park, Dinosaur Adventure Land.

Video copyright controversy

In September 2007, CSE began issuing DMCA takedown notices to certain YouTube videos critical of the ministry. CSE claimed the videos in question violated copyright law by incorporating footage from the ministry's taped seminars and debates, but use of copyrighted materials for the purpose of criticism or scholarship is explicitly defined as "fair use" under the Copyright Act of 1976. Additionally, many critics have argued that the ministry itself entered their videos into the public domain, and thereby invalidated any automatic copyright protection granted by the 1976 law, with the following notices on its website and distributed with the videos:

• "These videos are intentionally not copyrighted."
• "Since our beginning in 1989 we have allowed people to copy our videos to spread the gospel faster."
• "None of the materials produced by Creation Science Evangelism are copyrighted, so feel free to copy those and distribute them freely."

CSE later withdrew its copyright claim on a number of the critical videos, saying "YouTube will use their discretion and take appropriate action on those files. The remainder of the files, we have good faith belief infringed on our copyright." However, if the initial DMCA takedown notices are found in court to be spurious, CSE could be vulnerable to perjury charges or lawsuits by the videos' creators.

External links

• DrDino.com - Official website
• YouTube user page