WordPress.com in Brazil
Given the recent news that WordPress.com might be blocked in Brazil, we would like to share some information about the case and our response.
A Brazilian judge ordered that one blog hosted at WordPress.com should be blocked in Brazil. A local ISP association mentioned it would do so via IP address blocking, something that would compromise access to WordPress.com in Brazil and would not block the blog.
We filed a motion on Monday, explaining, in essence: a) how our service works; b) our terms of use and US laws apply to content hosted on WordPress.com; c) we oppose censorship and will not take down the blog ourselves unless it violates our terms of service; d) the best ways to handle the blocking of this blog in Brazil without compromising the access to WordPress.com.
The terms of the lawsuit are confidential so we cannot disclose all the information we would like at this time, such as the names of the parties involved or the blog address.
We are represented in the case by Marcel Leonardi, a Brazilian attorney, law professor, and cyberlaw scholar. He is working on the case pro bono on behalf of the WordPress.com community.
We hope to have this matter resolved within a few days and will keep you updated.
Português Brasileiro
Em virtude das notícias recentes a respeito do possível bloqueio do WordPress.com no Brasil, nós gostaríamos de compartilhar algumas informações sobre caso e nossa resposta.
Um juiz brasileiro determinou que um blog hospedado no WordPress.com deveria ser bloqueado no Brasil. Uma associação local de provedores de serviços de Internet mencionou que isso seria feito por meio de bloqueio de endereço IP, algo que comprometeria o acesso ao WordPress.com no Brasil e não bloquearia o blog.
Apresentamos uma petição na segunda-feira, explicando, em síntese: a) como nosso serviço funciona; b) nossos termos de uso e as leis norte-americanas se aplicam ao conteúdo hospedado no WordPress.com; c) não aceitamos censura e não removeremos o blog a não ser que ele viole nossos termos de uso; d) quais são as melhores formas de lidar com o bloqueio deste blog no Brasil sem comprometer o acesso ao WordPress.com.
Os termos do processo judicial são confidenciais e não podemos revelar todas as informações que gostaríamos neste momento, tais como o nome das pessoas envolvidas e o endereço do blog.
Somos representados neste caso por Marcel Leonardi, advogado, professor de direito e pesquisador de temas de Direito e Internet no Brasil. Ele está trabalhando no caso gratuitamente, em nome da
comunidade WordPress.com.
Esperamos resolver este assunto dentro dos próximos dias e manteremos vocês atualizados.
(My apologies if I messed up the formatting of any of the Portuguese above.)
- April 30, 2008
- International, Language, Localization, WordPress.com
WordPress.com News 
e um viva a liberdade de expressão.
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Good Luck with this, and continue working like now 😉
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Most of brazilian judges are even unable to understand what internet means. Sometime agora an idiot blocked even the Youtube because an famous model did sex in a public beach, and a paparazzi just put the video in it. So don’t be worried if they block this site. It’s part of the smart brazilian law system such atrocities.
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Quando fiquei sabendo do bloqueio do endereço wordpress.com para o brasil fiquei totalmente triste e com muito medo de perder meu blog.
Espero que por causa de uma pessoa muitas não sejam prejudicadas….espero que se resolve…a comunidade brasileira no wordpress aguarda resposta.
Tudo da certo!
um grande abraço!
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Aeeeee!!
Thanks!!
Finalmente, nada de bloqueio.. huhu
Também, olha quantas respostas…. Já imaginou se todos esses blogueiros doB rasil ficassem sem postar? o.O
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The blog of bilions of brazilians will stop if this continue.
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Brasil é o pais da Martelada hahaha, parece piada…
Aconteceu a mesma coisa com o Counter Strike, Bares fechados em favelas a noite, etc…
Já virou festa…
Law Authorities here in Brazil were always enthusiastic in Dictatorship ways so they won’t need anymore to trace the real persons behind a isolated stupid/illegal act. It´s easier to them to Put a Great Wall around the other ppl which don’t ever get any threat to anyone.
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It’s sad if free speech does not apply to all.
Good luck!
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I’m getting hits from Brazil again, good
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Thanks Matt and the WordPress crew.
Quite frankly, I’m getting sick and tired of all the stupid moves brazillian judges are ruling nowadays.
It all began with the YouTube Cicarelli’s case, moving on to Counter Strike and Everquest, and now this.
It’s a pity, because here in Brazil we do have some brilliant minds. Unfortunately, they don’t represent a very big share among judges or some other very important jobs.
All I heard about judges these past few months is about they trying to save face from other 2 criminals which also happens to be their colleagues (that assassin, and the judge who let that girl go to a male prison for a month).
Either they didn’t read the constitution, they don’t actually know their own cases, or they don’t care about the consequences of their acts.
Not to mention public opinion.
Keep up the good fight!
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ridículo! querer bloquear milhares de blogs, com temas variados e interessantes, por conta de um só?
¬¬
BLOQUEIO NÃO!
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Isso não vai dar em nada como sempre, de tempos e tempos surge uma fagulha de autoritarismo nesses velhos juizes que são saudozistas de tempos de completo poder sobre a sociedade.. vemos juizes proibindo jogos, blogs e etc, criminosos, politicos corruptos, e até juiz assassino ficam por ai impunes.
from time to time, rises sparks of autoritarims in this old Judges that misses times when they have complete power over society, we see judges forbiding games, blogs and etc.. but criminals, bad politicians and a muder judger goes free withou any trial…
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انا مو فاهمة شي ولا أعرف انجلش الا ع قدي
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Não ao bloqueio do WordPress no Brasil.
Sim a liberdade.
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***
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Matt,
Thanks for taken up the issue and continue fighting against the wrong decision. Blocking a whole domain because of 1 stupid blogger? that’s not right. If the judge’s intention was only determinate the block of one specific blog that contained outlaw material, they can request WordPress authority to take immediate action on that stupid blogger and to block that blog. But why all bloggers of the whole country suffer?
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Diabolical. Rather like Thailand blocking Youtube for 6 months a year ago – due to one single video post.
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Censorship on the Internet has gone too crazy. It is a shame that people cannot appreciate the gift that is free speech. In most cases, this would be wrong. I don’t know the contents of the blog, so I can’t say. It just astonishes me and depresses me how so many peoples’ freedom is lost due to censorship.
If it does not violate the terms of service, then the censorship of the blog (let alone the entire website) is going too far and is wrong, period. If it is not racist, sexist, ageist, or otherwise hateful or discriminatory, then censorship of the content offends me.The terms of service states:
“the Content is not obscene, libelous or defamatory (more info on what that means), hateful or racially or ethnically objectionable, and does not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party; ”
It is a disgrace to the world and the Internet that non-hateful material is censored. Thank you, Matt, for posting this.
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Hello, Matt
As it seems, the blog has been now deleted – or at least it is marked as “This blog is inactive”.
I heard about the changes in the WP’s T&C, which now says: “By making Content available, you represent and warrant that: […] your blog is not named in a manner that misleads your readers into thinking that you are another person or company. For example, your blog’s URL or name is not the name of a person other than yourself or company other than your own”.
I wonder if the two things are connected? Because otherwise I’d agree with ucha above, the T&C really cover everything that would be considered abusive or unacceptable.
Would you let us know? 😀 We are all about to be killed as cats – by curiosity.
Thank you!
Paula
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Bit annoying…But cool.
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how to say thank you in portugese
gratsis is it
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Hi all!
…. …
WordPress! WordPress!
Do I need to say more?
Go for it tiger!
BTW… I do not really agree with (d). It should be either ‘we’ or nothing.
If we have one blog blocked just when somebody feels like powerful enough to do so… It’s not only discrimination but also any blog could be blocked.
Besides, when has Brazil the rights to interfere with the rights of other state members for their thoughts and culture??? And when has Brazil the rights to interfere WordPress or States’ sovereignty? When has Brazil become the king of Cyberspace to dictate???
But as I have mentioned… this is the perfect example of barbaric actions any state can do. To the Brazilian courts, or other states’ courts, they are probably too used to be all powerful.
I am with WordPress on this.
Scope.
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yeah, man, xa era tempo
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Thanks for the reaction to this!
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Lamentável qualquer forma de censura.
Já foi com o Youtube, agora com o wordpress?
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esta bien
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Again?
Adnan Oktar part 2, I guess 😛
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Legal, fui o primeiro a postar em inglês sobre o bloqueio do WordPress.com no Brasil e nem recebi um link aqui, mesmo meu blog sendo hospedado aqui O.o
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OMG!!!!!!!…….Its imazing 😀
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The censorship still pursue Brazil.
Sadly.
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We are sorry this is happening-everything will more than work for you guys in this matter-because of the wonderful work you are doing for so many that arent even aware that you even exist- we love you guys let us know if there is ever anything we can do that could help you — thanks pixy and THE CREE-A-TOR
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As WP user I seriously hope this will be sorted out real soon coz I certainly don’t wanna lose my blog because of a piece of sh*t that simply misused his freedom of expression and most probably posted abusive or graphic material on his blog. Ah well…let’s hope for the best. Thanks Marcel and Matt for the elucidation on the process.
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nice…….
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eu acho que isso é uma palhaçada, o brasil está tentando bloquear ou fazer algo com a pirataria, mas eu já notei que vários blogs que induzem a pirataria são bloqueados por violar os termos de uso do wordpress, então não sei o que o Brasil está achando …. sinceramente é burrice tentar bloquear um sistema de tamanha magnetude, a maioria dos blogs de conteúdo pirata trabalha em outros sistemas de blogs, e acho que uma minoria que usa plataforma wordpress PHP o que não quer dizer que está vinculado com o servidor da wordpress, e sim usando sómente a plataforma , e acho que o Brasil confunde isso tudo, quero ver o Brasil tentar bloquear o emule, utorrent, comunidades torrent, não sou contra a pirataria de maneira alguma, mas se o Brasil fizer isso logo logo vamos encher o país de servidores proxy, e ai quero ver alguem bloquer alguma coisa
gostaria de saber qual é o risco do wordpress ser bloqueado ?
e se o conteúdo do site continuará ou o blog será delatado.. ?
abraço e obrigado!
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This is how things work here in Brazil. People are so unfamiliar with internet subjects that, whenever there is a problem, they tend to, as we say here “throw the baby away with the water of his bath”. Recently, a court order here in Brazil demanded that orkut would open many of its profiles that are suspect of child abuse and pedofilia. Even though this might be a legitimate concern, measures that announce a return of censorship here in Brazil are increasingly appearing and this “attack” to wordpress is, unfortunatelly, just one of them.
I guess we didn’t learn enough with our dictatorship period…
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What is up with these countries. Primitive!
“A country that prefers disgrace to danger is prepared for a master. . . and deserves one” ~~ Alexander Hamilton
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Well done, it’s good to know that you’re defending our freedom of expression. We as free wordpress free bloggers are appreciating this, don’t-you-forget! We will make this known to our country too, Greece.
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It only shows Brazilian judges are spending much time than they should with pointless cases. Unfortunately, the legal sphere in our country remains exactly the same it was in the beginning of the 20th century.
If blocked, thousands of Brazilians will be damaged because one single user posted illegal issues. Please take a look on this case, all in the world needs to see Brazil is a promising country, commanded by idiot people. Good luck for us, we’ll need it.
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This is not related to any censorship, it’s only one more judge looking for his “five minutes as a star”, as we would say. My suggestion – let’s search for a photo of that judge, and making a picture with his photo and something written just like “please, go after the real criminals”. Afterwards all of us can add it on our blogs.
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How long can we continue to afford national borders?
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Thank you Matt. I think finally (some day!) the justice will understand that lovers split is not a judge stuff. And we don’t have anything with this case.
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Alguém poderia explicar a esse juiz que o wordpress não é responsável pelos conteúdos dos blogs? Se as empresas fossem responsáveis pela má utilização dos seus serviços (como eles alegam), o juiz teria não só de acabar com o wordpress, mas também com todos os blogs, e-mail´s, grupos, orkut, youtube, etc… Isso seria 99% da internet, não?
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Colem selos em seu blog para protesto no site:naoaobloqueio.wordpress.com
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Long life to free press!
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Thanks Marcel for defending our freedom of expression. I will write about it for my fellow Germans so that your effort won’t be ignored…
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Sou contra o bloqueio, mas pelo que entendi com o texto acima, a Justiça não pode censurar, mas o WordPress sim, isso?
De qualquer forma, espero que essa palhaçada de bloqueio não se concretize.
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Hmmm… /with best regards from Josef
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Your work and your interest for this argument is very loved. 🙂 I appreciate it.
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VIVA! free speech Viva!
[as long as It doesn’t harm anyone, especially children]
CENSORSHIP IS BAAAAAAAAAAD v v baaaad!
control of people – in what they hear and can say – is the first step down the dehumanising road of extreme thinking and acting – on both sides of the spectrum
it’s always those who are guilty of human rights infringements that start to censure the people – dodgy regimes and that club of old greedy power hungry farts are experts at the art of censorship and changing their constitutions! what buffoons! history will not talk well of them and hopefully they will be arrested and tried.
“If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum. But if you kill 40, 000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country and that’s what we want to change here,”
Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch …….
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Boa sorte nessa empreitada. Que dê tudo certo!!!!!
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Can we get the URL of that blog which is reason of WordPress blocking by Brazil? I know that it’s maybe confidential, but blog is free for readers. I can Google for it, but better you to tell me… Thanks in advance.
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Sinto-me profundamente preocupada com todos os fatos relacionados a esta ação judicial. Não sei exatamente a que ela se refere, mas – embora não concordando jamais com a exclusão brasileira de acesso ao valioso e insuperável serviço que o worpress nos oferece e defende tão responsavelmente -, temo ao pensar qual seja a “matéria” infringidora da legislação brasileira [de fato, só consigo pensar mesmo em coisas completamente aleatórias às garantias legais constitucionais da nossa cidadania, como motivo para uma tal ação].
Temo mais profundamente por ocupar o espaço maravilhosamente cedido e o serviço indiscritivelmente excelente da wordpress, ao ter um blog de matérias controvertidas e polêmicas que, de certa forma, indiscutivelmente não são concordantes com a media principal, embora plenamente concordantes com as disposições legais brasileiras e as normas éticas, não só da wordpress, mas mundiamente estabelecidas, defendidas e acatadas.
Alio-me a defesa do acesso à wordpress [que também é a nossa defesa e medida contracensura] e mais uma vez expresso meu agradecimento por fazer parte desta comunidade.
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and latinoamerica?
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Thank God for our country here in the USA that grants us the RIGHT to freedom of speech, regardless of what is being said.
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like china.
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