"We allow you to read one article for free - this one that you're on."

October 29, 2010 10:04 AM

New York-based North Country Gazette has taken an interesting approach to monetizing its content: Threatening to sue people that read more than one article without buying a membership. [via]
posted by jbickers (39 comments total)

It's been a few years, but NCG stories have been linked a couple of times on the blue.
posted by jbickers at 10:05 AM on October 29, 2010

Don't click both links or you'll get sued!
posted by morganannie at 10:08 AM on October 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I can't be the only one who just tried to read as many of their articles as possible, can I?
posted by reductiondesign at 10:11 AM on October 29, 2010

They also have password protected articles. Seriously weird.

I wonder, was this the idea from management, or from a local lawyer who just found that IP tracing is the newest thing in internet-related lawsuits, and found out that the local paper already tracks IPs.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:13 AM on October 29, 2010

If this is real, they are crazy. If this is a marketing campaign they are fucking genius.
posted by Felex at 10:13 AM on October 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

I'm planning on leaving a huge bowl of candy at my front door this Halloween and putting up a sign threatening to sue any kid who takes more than one piece.
posted by turaho at 10:14 AM on October 29, 2010 [7 favorites]

(Thankfully, I have the law on my side.)
posted by turaho at 10:16 AM on October 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

Isn't it really expensive to sue people? I don't quite see how this would accomplish anything, but then I'm not a fancy book-smart lawyer or journalist or online webnet kind of person.
posted by scratch at 10:19 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

This was discussed a couple of days ago on reddit. The woman who owns/runs the NCG is a crackpot.
posted by mrbill at 10:20 AM on October 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

From the point of view of someone who thinks that is perfectly reasonable that people should sometimes get paid for content: No, North Country Gazette, your actions are not helpful.
posted by Artw at 10:21 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Here's all the background you need on the site's owner:

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/June_Maxam
posted by mrbill at 10:21 AM on October 29, 2010 [6 favorites]

Beautiful! I love it when the paranoid and hostile get their own printing presses.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:27 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Error establishing a database connection

Damn, I really wanted to click on every single thing there and then receive My First Legal Notice, but no luck.

Also, this person is clearly mentally ill so be gentle.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:36 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Isn't it really expensive to sue people?

Depends. If someone has a promising suit against a deep pocket, plenty of negligence attorneys will take the case for nothing up front and a nice percentage of any payout.

Granted, that model wouldn't seem applicable here.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:41 AM on October 29, 2010

This sounds like an old high publisher who doesn't have a clue and refuses to listen to anyone because someone is stealing something from him!

Sort of like record industry execs.
posted by nomadicink at 10:45 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Searches related to june maxam
north country gazette
june maxam nutcase
june maxam twitter
june maxam encyclopedia dramatica
june maxam murder
june maxam site

Thanks google.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:46 AM on October 29, 2010

Thanks google.

It reveals truth like some sort of Oracle, doesn't it?

[Cough.]
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:55 AM on October 29, 2010

CYBER POLICE! BACKTRACE IS GO!!!
posted by bionic.junkie at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2010

Isn't it really expensive to sue people?

Not if you don't go to court.
posted by mmrtnt at 11:04 AM on October 29, 2010

Marketing/virial gimmic is what I fist thought of when I heard about this. My next thought was "well, phuck'em" and continued on with my life.
And nothing of value was lost
posted by Old'n'Busted at 11:05 AM on October 29, 2010

Heh. And half of @ncgazette's tweets helpfully inform us that "there is no excerpt because this is a password-protected post". (Checking that account's followers reveals someone who likes dogs, Glee, and lawyers. Who'd a thunk it?)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:15 AM on October 29, 2010

Beautiful! I love it when the paranoid and hostile get their own printing presses.

Yes, and when they get their own FOX TV networks, too.
posted by scblackman at 11:24 AM on October 29, 2010

So instead of hiring one competent web developer, they hire ten lawyers. Yup, sounds like America.
posted by organic at 11:25 AM on October 29, 2010

Adding to the silliness are the multiple "add this/share this" buttons on each entry.
posted by Gator at 11:25 AM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Software, Publishing, Movies and Music.

It is breathtaking to watch members of each of these industries regularly melt down in public in spasms of panic, fear and loathing in the face of massive technological disruption.

They must come to grips with two things:

1 - Bits cost nothing to copy. Every time a user views your webpage, her computer makes a copy. The browser is not a "window" into content, it downloads a copy of the content to display. Also, if you can't make money selling digital copies, then stop releasing digital copies. Don't go crying to the government.

2 - Almost everyone in the developed world who wants one, can have his own publishing and broadcast facility - get over it. The legacy industries are no longer the sole gatekeepers of news, entertainment and thought.
posted by mmrtnt at 11:27 AM on October 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

If anybody has the password for the protected articles, please submit them here.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 11:30 AM on October 29, 2010

127.0.0.1 www.northcountrygazette.org
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:56 AM on October 29, 2010

It looks like they're now refusing clickthroughs from BoingBoing.

People like this fascinate me. There are people who understand the internet and there are people who don't understant the internet. But then there's this weird third category: people who seem competent enough to get it, but refuse to do so.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:35 PM on October 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I just noticed an ad full of awesome on her sidebar:

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'Splains a lot, wouldn't you say?
posted by Gator at 12:49 PM on October 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

This is very upsetting for me! I count on that paper for all my news of the world, sports, entertainment, politics, society etc and I do not even live in New York State. What to do now?
posted by Postroad at 12:53 PM on October 29, 2010

...people who seem competent enough to get it, but refuse to do so.

Speaking of which...
posted by mmrtnt at 1:45 PM on October 29, 2010

It is breathtaking to watch members of each of these industries regularly melt down in public in spasms of panic, fear and loathing in the face of massive technological disruption.

It would be a stretch to include this crazy person as part of the newspaper industry.
posted by empath at 2:00 PM on October 29, 2010

Make a frameset with your fake logo (e.g. "Million Dollar News") in one pane and her site hotlinked in another. Don't host it anywhere, just email her the page. Claim that you're making thousands of dollars a day.
posted by fleetmouse at 6:16 PM on October 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

This just proves that Some People Need Spanking.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:46 PM on October 29, 2010

Thanks google.

Thoogle.
posted by Xezlec at 7:45 PM on October 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

you can read this one comment of mine for nothing, but after that, i expect you to pay or else
posted by pyramid termite at 8:35 PM on October 29, 2010

that's it, then - you are SO sued
posted by pyramid termite at 8:36 PM on October 29, 2010

If you're reading the North Country Gazette
Where the chilling effects blow across the border line
Remember not to read more than one story from the set
Or you'll get sued and that ain't so fine

And if you're going up near Buffalo
When the snowflakes howl like the lawyers can
Please be prepared for a threat so low
Screamin' at you in that red Comic Sans

If you read the paper on the web so world-wide
And you get a warnin' so terrible to see
Remember that they ain't on your side
And they just might be trackin' your IP

If you're readin' the North Country Gazette
Where the chilling effects blow across the border line
That dead tree business I beg you don't forget
For it once was a true love of mine
posted by arto at 8:53 PM on October 29, 2010

Not to be confused with North Country This Week, which is an actual publication printed on real paper every week (though for some reason its website is called "North Country Now").
posted by skoosh at 11:52 PM on October 30, 2010