Because every company with even just a three-legged rat in the copyright race basically just shotgun sprays Google for takedown requests these days, Microsoft accidentally but very hilariously asked Google to censor… Microsoft.com. That’s got to be even worse than HBO giving Google a takedown request for VLC
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It’s not uncommon for media companies to send in DMCA takedown requests to Google in order to have it removed from search listings and indexing, but sometimes it can get a bit ridiculous. Case in point: HBO is demanding that Google remove a link to a torrent listing of a version of VLC, the popular open-source media player.
Okay, so it’s not rare when media companies request takedowns of torrent listings, because most of them contain copyrighted material. However, VLC is a completely free and open-source piece of software that has no copyrights, and since torrent sites themselves aren’t illegal, we’re not sure what HBO is getting at with this request in particular.
Copyright holders ask Google to remove millions of links every month. Just last month alone, media companies sent in almost 15 million URLs that they demanded be taken out of Google’s search results, proving that copyright holders are a persistent bunch, even to the point where they’re citing copyright infringement for things that don’t even have copyrights in the first place.
However, this could be a simple mistake on HBO’s part. We’re guessing these companies have computer bots that scour the internet for copyrighted material and then sends it into Google, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if these bots made a mistake every now and then, but this one is certainly a laughable mistake.
Unfortunately, we doubt that media companies will crack down on the number of false positives they come up with, seeing as how they seem to work off the notion that the more URLs they send Google’s way, the more chances they have at getting their copyrighted material taken off in search results, no matter how many mistakes they make.
VIA: TorrentFreak
HBO demands Google take down VLC torrent listing is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
VLC is not a TV show. Nor is it a movie. Nor is it a music album. Nor is it anything but open source software that the entire Internet knows as the greatest video player in all the lands. HBO, however, apparently doesn’t know that. The It’s Not TV TV company recently sent Google a takedown request for VLC citing copyright infringement.
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The White House isn’t happy that many counterfeiters and pirates lean on internet advertising to support their sketchy ways. Accordingly, it just teamed up with Google, Microsoft and other ad providers to create a voluntary set of best practices for cutting off funding to digital bootleggers. An ad network operator following these guidelines agrees to either warn customers or kick them out of ad programs if they’re found to be dealing primarily in ill-gotten goods. Thankfully, the accused also have a say: they can issue counter-notices and otherwise make a case for their innocence. It’s doubtful that the US guidelines will stop copyright violation overnight, but they should streamline an ad removal process that hasn’t been consistent.
[Image credit: Christopher Clay, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: 2013 IP Practices, Google, Microsoft
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is no stranger to laying down the law on those who illegal download copyrighted content, but a recent case has an interesting settlement attached. The RIAA is giving infamous file-sharer Jammie Thomas-Rasset the choice to represent an anti-piracy campaign in exchange for a lower fine.
The court case involving the RIAA and Thomas-Rasset has lasted seven years so far, but it seems like things are coming to a close. Thomas-Rasset was sued for illegally sharing 24 songs online, and after the US Supreme Court declined to hear Thomas-Rasset’s appeal, the RIAA said that it would would reduce her fine, which stands at $222,000 currently.
The fine would be reduced as long as Thomas-Rasset made a public service announcement that would campaign against online piracy through the RIAA. It’s quite the ultimatum, but it wasn’t disclosed what the fine would be reduced to if Thomas-Rasset agreed to the proposal.
One of the big reasons why this court case has been so huge lately is that Thomas-Rasset became the first person to refuse to settle with the RIAA, and instead chose to let the RIAA take the case to court. The settlement cost was only $3,500, but Thomas-Rasset could end up paying way more than a few grand.
Her attorney said that she “is pretty opposed” to the proposal of making a public service announcement for the RIAA, and it’s possible that Thomas-Rasset will be filing for bankruptcy protection in order to evade the damages that she would be getting. However, the case is still ongoing, so it’s possible things may change in the near future.
SOURCE: Wired
RIAA cutting file-sharer fine in exchange for anti-piracy campaign is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It should come as no surprise that the RIAA, of all organizations, plays particularly fast and loose with its DMCA takedown requests
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When Napster exploded onto the scene in 1999, not every musician responded by frothing at the mouth. In this exclusive clip from the Napster documentary Downloaded, you’ll see that artists’ reactions were as diverse as the music they make. Trent Reznor’s smug braininess meets multiple Spice Girls and everybody walks away wondering how Spice Girls haven’t heard of the Internet. In 1999. Seriously?
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With the spring TV season drawing to a close (MAD MEN SEASON FINALE TOMORROW YOU GUYS!!), TorrentFreak has done the wonderful service of rounding up a top 10 list of the most torrented shows out there this time around. Can you guess number one? (You can definitely guess number one.)
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A new DRM technology is being developed in Germany that gives every ebook a unique watermark of sorts, so that publishers can track them and see who is pirating copies. With the popularity of ereaders and ebooks on the rise, publishers are looking for new ways to combat the rise in piracy on ebooks, especially
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