The BC Liberal party has been accused of violating copyright in its latest attack ad targeting the opposition NDP.
The YouTube ad focuses on a comment Adrian Dix made during the televised leaders’ debate last month, and features a short clip lifted from the program.
But the broadcast consortium that organized the debate says the footage is copyrighted, and that the Liberals, NDP, Greens and Conservatives all promised not to use it for partisan purposes.
Consortium representative Les Staff, who is also CTV British Columbia’s news director, sent an email to YouTube requesting that the ad be removed immediately.
“The program was aired with a copyright at the end of the broadcast. The political parties involved agreed that no use of the copyrighted broadcast would be allowed,” Staff wrote.
“I have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.”
The same YouTube account also features a 90-minute video of the full leaders’ debate that was allegedly used without permission.
The consortium contacted the BC Liberal campaign to ask that the videos be taken down, but the party refused.
A party official also denied any agreement was made not to use the copyrighted material.
