We (or at least myself) at the Doctor Who Blog were saddened by the announcement made on the excellent Doctor Who Cuttings Archive that News International, who owns the Sun, the Times, The News of the World and half the media on the planet, is forcing them to take down the cuttings from their papers from its extensive archive of news cuttings about Doctor Who. As the site owner, Roger Anderson comments “Throughout our discussions News International have been polite and constructive but their position has remained unchanged and although we would argue that our use of these items is in the spirit of fair dealing/fair practice we do not have access to the lawyers that NI do. We therefore respect their decision and note that we have no option but to comply with their wishes. Some may find this particularly ironic given the help we have given to journalists from The Sun in particular in the past - we, however, couldn’t possibly comment.

“Please note that this position contrasts with that of some other organisations who have clearly understood the fact that the site is totally non-profit making and run as a resource for researchers, TV historians and other interested parties. The archive is a valued resource for a number of serious researchers and it’s credentials are clear, however we have no choice but to comply with News International’s wishes.”

Doctor Who fandom has a better understanding of the value of heritage and history than anywhere else in TV fandom. We have the best researched books; we have discourse about aspects of TV production completely unknown in other purviews; generally, we demonstrate that fandom is not about dressing up in costume but showing a genuine historical interest in what went into the making and pheneomenon of a television program. This is largely through the efforts of dedicated fans like Roger, who has spent years amassing a wonderful archive of press cuttings about Doctor Who that go back all the way to 1963. While the archive will continue (albeit without NI paper clippings) it is impoverished by the blinkered, self-centred attitude that trumps legal might over fair use. It’s frankly disgraceful.