From Mike Brown
Annalee Newitz is right to be concerned about the misuse of copyright law to censor the web (14 January, p 20). But the misusers themselves fail to understand that the way the web works makes their efforts counterproductive. Before I read the article I had not heard of the Cthulhu Chick Tract, which published parodies of Chick online Christian tracts. Leaning on Howard Hallis to remove his satirical version has not helped the publishers of Chick tracts at all – far from it, it has led to the Cthulhu Chick Tract being widely talked and written about.
Hallis has made a sterling effort at satirising something which is almost beyond satire. If you don’t believe me, check out www.chick.com/catalog/tractlist.asp.
Knutsford, Cheshire, UK
