Jason Calacanis’ Mahalo has borrowed from the Simon Fuller Idol franchise in its search for the new host for Mahalo Daily by announcing Mahalo Idol.
Potential hosts are asked to respond to the above video on YouTube showing their best side, or turn up to a casting call in Los Angeles April 19. Idol style host wannabes will be purged until there are five finalists, who return one week later to pitch to the celebrity judges with one person being picked to become Mahalo Idol, the new host of Mahalo Daily. The site doesn’t give specifics but it would be a safe bet that the entire process, complete with judging, will be filmed and shown on Mahalo. Men need not apply, Mahalo is seeking female hosts only.
Jason’s embrace of quality television such as Idol is classy, but copying everything down to the logo is a lawsuit waiting to happen, unless he used the Mahalo millions to legally purchase the rights.
“classy” yes just what I was thinking too. It reeks of “class”.
Hmmm, I imagine they are going to run into some legal issues with Fox over that logo…
I think that they should have hosted that on Seesmic!
This has to be the stupidest thing that Jason has ever done.
Why is it stupid?? Some of you guys really need to get a life.
Its very unlikely fox will know or even care about this.
Wish MAhalo the best.
Creative but I just can’t wait for the C&D from American Idol for copyright infringement for American Idol’s Logo.
AMERICAN IDOL ® is a registered trademark of 19 TV Ltd. and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
Jason, you’re just way over yourself.
I have a feeling Jason wouldn’t mind if Mahalo was all over the news for a few days because of an infringement lawsuit, before quietly settling or complying.
It ain’t easy being cheesy!
he’s replicating the logo just enough, or till, it gets near lawsuit-status – not to mention the PR…then he’ll drop it.
and mahalo got free press, mainstream press likely – ohhh, he’s a caniving one
duncan,
there is a section of copyright law that allows for parody. We are making a joke about the search.
http://en.wikip...g/wiki/Fair_use
best jason
The best line in this video is “…if you want to be a professional podcaster like me”. Calling somebody a professional podcaster is like calling somebody a professional blogger or professional activist etc… it makes you sound dumb. Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants are professionals.
Since when does booting up a computer and standing in front of a camera rambling nonesense make you a professional?
Jon
http://dreamclue.com …get the message?
what exactly is this anyway? I do not get it.
Disclosure of relationship between Jason and TC50, please…
@ Jason,
Just be careful – I’ve run into issues with larger corporations who don’t really embrace fair use and are quick to stick the lawyers.
Good luck.
Adam
I’m 1000% sure we are in the protected parody space on this one–and so is Duncan. he’s just trying to stir the pot after our last run-in over workaholics. We are NOT creating an American Idol series… we’re doing a talent search and making a joke out of it that it’s LIKE american idol. We’re going to make fun of the AMerican idol themes, etc.
Duncan has it in for me and he’s going to take shots at me any chance he gets.
JeremyB: obviously the TC50 relationship is well know AND it does nothing for me in terms over coverage…. Duncan is killing me every chance he gets!
j
great, more bimbo newsreaders, just what the world needs
This is so hastily written I think we’d rather not have the coverage.
@11 Jon
You seem slow…
@17: Please. Go look at your traffic charts. You need all the help you can get.
ma-who?
how about jason howell – even fewer brain cells than (kinda hot for a cnet chick) veronica
Jason: I’m an intellectual property attorney at a large law firm in San Francisco. While it would be improper for me to give any legal advice here, I will suggest that you speak with qualified counsel on this issue because I can only assume you haven’t done so already.
The following is my opinion as an interested observer and does not constitute any legal advice.
There are four primary criteria courts use when judging whether something qualifies as fair use. In my opinion, you will have a difficult time meeting those four criteria. You are a commercial enterprise using the Idol mark for commercial gain, you have copied a creative, as opposed to factual, work, you have used the entire Idol mark save for replacing ‘American’ with ‘Mahalo’ and your use of the Idol mark could easily be argued to lessen or negatively impact the original Idol mark.
Additionally, what you have done would be hard to clasify as transformative; it is entirely superseding.
When it comes to the issue of parody specifically, I fail to see any parody. There is absolutely nothing on the Mahalo Idol page that provides for a parody interpretation. You are not making any commentary about American Idol; you are taking the format of American Idol, have created a derivative of the Idol mark and are operating a real ‘contest’ for your business that leverages the Idol mark.
Wow…this might be a rare case of the real story (impending IP lawsuit against Mahalo) breaking in the comments.
so why did veronica leave anyway? I heard she wanted to get close to the founder of digg… Can anyone else confirm this?
This is what happens when VC money is put into really bad use (and there’s too much of it floating around in the company coffers). Been there, seen that, sold the t shirt.
However, I support full-heartedly the notion that internet needs more good-looking bimbos to do play-by-play of tech news.
So you get my vote Mahalo, keep up the good work!
“Duncan has it in for me and he’s going to take shots at me any chance he gets. ”
unbelievable rantings of a delusional mind. I disagreed with one thing you said Jason, and now I’ve got it in for you….give me a break. As I’ve written to you privately before, there’s been plenty of opportunities to come after Mahalo and you and I haven’t. Trust me: if I was out to get you, this wouldn’t be it. I’d also note that Mahalo requested the write-up as well; email is still in my inbox.
I’d note that I’d think Parody doesn’t apply in this case as you’re running the show for commercial gain and the parody side isn’t the main core of the competition. Anyhow, not my problem, your problem.
WOW how brand new and exiting.. oh wait…
Dear god someone take that mans Venture capital away before he blows it all on t-shirts and brand name credit card holders…
“When it comes to the issue of parody specifically, I fail to see any parody. There is absolutely nothing on the Mahalo Idol page that provides for a parody interpretation. You are not making any commentary about American Idol; you are taking the format of American Idol, have created a derivative of the Idol mark and are operating a real ‘contest’ for your business that leverages the Idol mark.”
Well honestly, I think you could in fact argue that MAHALO itself is a joke, and anything that the company does it a joke by transitive!
haha next are they going to “parody” a Green Day album and have Mahalo Idiot?
or did jason already win that?
If he didn’t win he’s a shoo in for it. Females only — lol… I suppose there is no such thing as hosting ability without cleavage and a flower. Someone please take this idiots money away and give it to a company that can actually contribute something to the world.
pwned
What about MadTV.. they always parody products, shows.. etc
They sure as hell are profiting from it and never get sued.
Give me a break, if you think fox will give a shit you all out of your mind.
Wow these comments got brutal. I’m sure the whole “workaholics” statement didn’t really work out too well for Jason…especially with the crowd that would be commenting on TechCrunch.
@ 28 hahahahaha
Jason – Good luck.
Peter Epstein
http://www.thewebwar.com
IANAL, but I do know parody, and this, sir, is no parody.
Jason Calacanis is the PT Barnum of the web. Amazing the shit he comes up with. And I mean that in a good way.
“Make sure you have a good intro, like this one…
Also, make sure that you’re a hot chick.”