relax, it was just an april fools' day prank.
unfortunately, the BAA didn't think it was funny...
so their attorney filed a DMCA takedown notice claiming copyright infringement.
if you fell for it, fret not as you were not alone. check out the initial bait & hook, some stats from twitter & facebook and some comments posted around the interweb:
meanwhile, here are some clues on how one might've noticed that the site was a spoof meant to poke fun at the BAA (ie, a "parody"), thus protected by US copyright law's fair use doctrine:
finally, a walk down memory lane w/ some screen shots, since it's no longer April Fools' Day and i've taken the pages down:
- let's run message board (where it all began)
- twitter & facebook posts
- runners world message board
- runningahead message board
- kickrunners message board
- the prank made the news in new zealand
- baa makes the news in china too
- running is funny
meanwhile, here are some clues on how one might've noticed that the site was a spoof meant to poke fun at the BAA (ie, a "parody"), thus protected by US copyright law's fair use doctrine:
- the date of publication, April 1, 2011, happens to be a common day for pranks of this nature
- over 90% of the links pointed to a different website (baa.org versus mybaa.org)
- the "Happy April Fools' Day" watermark over the BAA logo
- the news item on the homepage stating: "HUNDREDS OF RUNNERS GET APRIL FOOLED BY SPOOF BAA WEBSITE"
finally, a walk down memory lane w/ some screen shots, since it's no longer April Fools' Day and i've taken the pages down: