Dehol Truth wins fight over YouTube videos critical of Inglewood mayor

Joseph Teixeira, aka Dehol Truth, can continue posting his videos critical of Inglewood Mayor James Butts, a judge has decided.

U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald rejected the city of Inglewood’s attempt to assert federal copyright protection over council meetings partially posted on YouTube by a longtime local gadfly, according to court papers obtained Friday.

In a ruling Thursday, Fitzgerald found that six online videos created and narrated by Teixeira did not violate copyright protection since California law bars cities from claiming ownership of public records.

Teixeira, who calls himself Inglewood’s “watchdog,” posts political commentary videos under the moniker Dehol Truth, often accusing Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and other city officials of hypocrisy, fraud and poor governance.

The suit, filed in March, contends the city owns “exclusive rights to reproduce the copyrighted works and to distribute the copyrighted works to the public,” and that city officials are caused to suffer “irreparable harm and damages” as a result of Teixeira’s postings.

— City News Service