Greetings. The now notorious Jim Cramer Stock Manipulation video that I recently noted (apparently taped in late 2006, and on YouTube since last year) has suddenly been pulled from YouTube due to copyright claims by TheStreet.com. Fascinating that this occurred only after it received so much negative attention on everything from my blog, to CNN, to Jon Stewart, ... to just about everywhere else.

This isn't to say that TheStreet.com shouldn't be able to assert a copyright claim if they so choose -- even if doing so will likely bring about exactly the reverse of what they presumably intend. It's a hopeless attempt at damage control. Does anybody really believe that removing the video from YouTube at this point will do anything but extend the controversy, or that interested parties don't routinely archive videos that have a high probability of being suddenly blocked on YouTube? Trying to wall people off from that video now only makes it that much more of a "must see" attraction!

Remembering my maxim that, "It's impossible to successfully censor the Internet by trying to remove materials that have attracted attention after being posted publicly" -- it's certain that plenty of copies are around for diligent searchers to locate with comparative ease.

And even if the Lords of Censorship begin attempting legal actions to try censor search engines themselves on a large scale (a not necessarily unlikely scenario given some popular sensibilities), Jim Cramer's "how to" video on stock manipulation will still likely take its place in the pantheon of Internet video wonders that will never die.

--Lauren--