Local animal rights group and rodeo settle lawsuit

A Colorado rodeo group recently paid $25,000 to SHARK, a local animal rights group run by Elburn's Steve Hindi, to settle a lawsuit over a YouTube video.

The suit claimed that the rodeo group violated SHARK's free speech rights by having its videos removed from YouTube.

SHARK, which stands for Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, sued Colorado-based Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in June 2008 after the rodeo group contacted YouTube and claimed it had copyright interests in the videos SHARK had posted.

SHARK seeks to publicize what it views as cruelty toward rodeo animals in an effort to stop the treatment. After SHARK posted about a dozen videos, including some showing what SHARK said were cowboys using banned electrical shock devices, the rodeo group contacted YouTube to have the videos taken down, claiming it had a copyright interest in them.

SHARK disputed that, had the videos reinstated and sued the rodeo group for free speech violations and interference with its contract with YouTube. The rodeo group, in its answer to the complaint, contended it did have a copyright interest in the films, presumably because they were filmed at its events, and admitted that it had a group file the forms with YouTube at the rodeo group's request.

Last month, both sides filed a stipulation dismissing the lawsuit, saying they had "reached an amicable resolution of their dispute."

Corynne McSherry, an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which represented SHARK, said the agreement also requires the rodeo group to enforce camera bans at future rodeos equally, meaning it cannot prevent SHARK members from bringing in cameras unless it prevents everyone from bringing in cameras.

Attorneys for the rodeo group could not be reached for comment Thursday.