Slashdot Mirror
Scientology Uses DMCA to Delist Critic's Website
touretzky writes: "Scientology has used a DMCA threat to force removal of a large number of pages from xenu.net from the Google search engine. Some of the pages Scientology is objecting to contain no material owned by the cult; other pages are clearly covered under "fair use". Scientology's ongoing abuse of Google is documented here. Of course, the Norwegian owner of xenu.net could write a counternotification letter, but that would require him to agree to the jurisdiction of a US court in a district of Scientology's choosing." The posting by Heldal-Lund agrees with what we can observe at Google - the pages listed in the posting aren't in Google's database, though many others are. Update: 03/21 14:16 GMT by M : Paul Wouters of xtdnet.nl (which hosts xenu.net) submits this page documenting Scientology's attacks against the ISP for continuing to host xenu.net.
Come on, if people would just _not_ accept this law (especially if they're in another country!) it won't be affective. Take a lesson from Thoraeu, Gandhi, and King people! It's called nonviolent protest, it's called civil disobedience! It's called a chance against this! Damn....
PS: I don't reply to ACs.
Scientology - the Microsoft of religions. Embrace and extend... FUD... it's all there...
Am I the only one who finds it funny that the Scientologist cult denies to the general public that they dont believe the Galactic Emperor Xenu and the body thetans (ie dead spirits of other aliens) are responsible for all the wrongs in the world. Yet if you post the relevant documentation they will sue the hell out of you for trade secret violation.
They dont even care if they have a valid claim for their suits, they just want to intimidate. Ask keith henson, he is currently in exile in canada. He did the horrible crime of posting the gps coordinates of the LA headquarters and hinting someone shoot a T"om Cruise" missle at it. He was convicted of electronic terrorism even though the posting was clearly in jest.
And dont forget poor Bob Mintons cat! Someone left the dead bugger on Bobs doorstep after they tortured it to death. Why is it that the euros see right through the scientologists, but in america most people do not?
If you were to breed the Ferengi with the Borg you would end up with Scientology.
I am an ex member now considered an 'enemy' of scientology because my activities and statements interfere with the continued extraction of money from the targets of this scam.
The Scientology program is optimized to extract money. One of the scientology program's subroutines tells the adherents to demonize their enemies, this is a pattern of conduct for fanatic extremist groups.
Scientology maintains control of Tom Cruise, Jenna Elfman, John Travolta and the rest of their pretty faced minons by controlling the information they see. By surrounding them with scientology drones.
Scientology's history of seeking gag agreements through burdensome litigation is just a means to an end. it is no more than another effort to control the information available.
I posted the Fishman affidavit to alt.religion.scientology in 1995, and endured almost 2 million in scientology litigation and refused 3 cash offers to settle - because I refused to take the gag agreement that would prevent me from explaining to YOU how dangerous these crazy bastards are.
To Scientology gag agreements are just the cost of doing business. Part of their effort to control the flow of information.
Scientology's massive efforts to create zillions of domains pointing at their website is just another example of Information Control.
The scientology spam and sporge on alt.religion.scientology is just informtion control.
Totalitarian systems, like Stalinist communism or Scientology cannot survive when information is free.
Scientology has been waging information warfare upon the web so that they might have a better chance to capture a few children's lives with their lies.
Don't let Scientolgoy win the google war, help get the word out, cause Scientology is worse than you think
Arnaldo Lerma [ an ex - member ] http://www.lermanet.comFerengi + Borg = Scientology
The original web page in question, found at http://xenu.xtdnet.nl/ is entitled "Support the Dutch Action against the Church of $cientology." Put that with the fact that the information is supplied in a downloadable tarball, and, well, this guy has got to be a faithful Slashdot reader.
Then again, what more would you expect from an organization with figures like John Travolta and Tom Cruise...
Really, take a look at Xenu.net and all the other pages out there which detail the stuff they do.
Just like Al Qaida they:
- Go after young impressionable people and turn them into zealots.
- Have armed camps and compounds (See Gold Base)
- Abuse the law and system as much as they can
- Attack and threaten anyone who speaks out against them or tries to leave the organization
- Meddle and infiltrate the government of their hosting countries. The Taliban in Afghanistan were also Al Qaida people to a large extent. The same is happening here, just look at the DA in California who went after Henson. Look at Clearwater Florida.
If we were really running a fully serious war on terrorism, we would have a couple of B1-B's level Gold base and the Navy would blow the Free Winds out of the fucking water. The FBI and CIA would fall upon Clearwater and put the town under martial law until they had rooted out the Scientologists there.
I think countries like Germany, Canada, France, and especially any Islamic countries should turn around and point a finger at the US and say, "Look, before you go waging war in other countries, why don't you take care of your own criminal organizations similar to Al Qaida?"
Really? Why aren't we looking as much into them as we are into Al Qaida? Especially after the stunt they pulled at Ground Zero after the attacks, trying to recruit by posing as medical workers.
I think its time that Bush and Co. took a look at home as much as they are abroad.
--Won't that be grand? Computers and the programs will start thinking and the people will stop. - Dr. Walter Gibbs
They believe that humanity is on a path to immediate self-destruction ...
Using the word "believe" gives Scientology too much credit. It's like saying that McDonalds believes you deserve a break today. Their so-called beliefs are nothing more than marketing techniques.
In any case, if they wanted to foster a sense of persecution, you'd think they'd leave the pages up as evidence rather than trying to suppress them. They're behaving like any other business that faces criticism, which is further evidence that they are a business, not a religion.
Option 2: If you do not have any access to the server that hosts your image
To have an image removed from our image search service, you must provide a written communication (email or regular mail) that sets forth the items specified below. Please note that you may be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that you own an image when you in fact do not. Accordingly, if you are not sure whether you have the right to request removal from our image search service, we suggest that you first contact an attorney.
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Yeah but the problem is that Scientology is INDIRECTLY targeting the content. By taking the search engine (the middle man) out of the loop they can seriously slow and damage the spread of anti-scientology information.
As much as I hate what they have done, it is very sound battle tactics. The best response is twofold.
1. Defend - submit a counter-claim, get xenu listed again.
2. Protect - Spread the information over a wider base so that it's harder for similar tactics to work again. (Also if possible challenge the DMCA to prevent it from happening again)
There is the third option Attack but that requires lots of money and effort for a sustained campaign.
Pinky: "What are we going to do tomorrow night Brain?"
Brain: "I would tell you Pinky but this 120 char limi
FORD EXEC: This site is critical of our new Ford Excessive SUV, DMCA it out of you're listings!
GOOGLE: Oh...O-OK...sure... (Butter's voice)
BLIZZARD LAWYER: This site has a program to allow our games to be used on a LAN! DMCA it out of your database!
GOOGLE: Oh...O-OK...sure...
BILL G.: This review says bad things about our SQL server. Fire the DMCA at it Google!
GOOGLE: Oh...O-OK...sure...
DUBYA: Our military plans are protected by the DMCA. Google, nuke this site that criticizes them!
GOOGLE: Oh...O-OK...sure...
Maybe if they had stood up for their own free speech rights they wouldn't have opened the barn door like this. As much as I like Google, part of me wants to see the floodgates open and the de-listers come swarming in. Maybe someone will realize that occasionally, you do have to stand up for your rights.
-sk
Scientology is not a religion, its just a fascist organization seeking to brainwash and control others. A friend in Germany explained to me how they banned this fascist cult in most placed in Europe such as the UK and Germany, we should do the same here I'm sorry to say. Its bad when government has to step and ban certain things but groups like this and NMBLA should not be protected under the first amendment. What's more amazing is how organizations can actually get away with suing people for criticizing them. So the first amendment, I'd say the most sacred right in the USA, should protect YOUR OWN EXISTENCE but not the rights of others, correct? If that isn't fascism, I don't know what is.
Ben
Look at the situation, in my opinion:
Today people don't much care about Scientology filing a lawsuit against this person or that person. "Who are those people and why do I care if they're fighting an organization I don't even understand? Scientology never hurt me."
I bet people would take notice if Google was sued. Three things could happen:
1. Google gains even more users.
2. Opponents mirror the offending material more now than ever, making it even easier to find in Google.
3. Scientology's public image could be ruined if it endangered Google's future.
People could begin asking, "What is Scientology and why did they make my favorite search engine go away? I can't find anything anymore."
Under the current situation I only see:
1. Google losing respect as an authoritative search engine, bowing to legal pressure at the expense of its core mission (helping people find web pages).
If Google would guarantee that Scientology appears as the first link in Google results when users search for the world "Scientology," I don't see why Scientology would care about anti-Scientology material. Only people interested in that material will spend the time to look at it. People read the first link, and if it sounds right, they click it. End of story.
In all my observations of user behavior, I've never seen a user read all of the search results and thoughtfully consider them before selecting which link is appropriate. They click the first link that looks like it might remotely be correct.
Given the history of scientology manipulating google's ranking system, why not just wipe them out with an equally questionable claim of your own? Send them a DMCA notification saying that every one of their pages (including the ones just used for rank boosting) individually violates a copyright you own. Watch them disappear off google. Suddenly the truly informative Scientology sites are on top. Seems like proper counter-use of a broken law -- the biggest problem being that the COS has some of the deepest pockets around.
:)
Note that everything I say here is quite possibly illegal should not be done under any circumstances, by anyone. Really.
-Puk
This is spot on. Scientology is the most ingenious pyramid scheme ever conceived . The product? Paranoia. I think their entire pitch can be boiled down to "Anyone who isn't a Scientologist is evil." It's a hard sell, but once someone takes the bait there's no limit to how far you can push them. It's the ultimate in absolutist reductionism. Of course, selling the bald premise that !Scientology=evil is damn near impossible, so they have to dress up the pitch in layers of silly "mysteries", which the acolyte is hoping to have revealed to them as the payoff for the investment of their mental space in a basically tautological premise. That's why the 'cherch' gets it's panties in a twist whenever these deep dark secrets about aliens ruling the earth get published on the web. It takes time to condition even the most gullible rube into swallowing this mess as gospel. Without the proper initiation, any right thinking person will just laugh off Scientology as a bunch of sci fi nutjobs a la Heaven's Gate.
L. Ron was certainly the man, I have to wonder if he wasn't a SubGenius at heart, laughing all the way to the exalted throne of worship (oh, and the bank, too).
"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're right." -
Google's willingness to abandon specifically DMCA granted exemptions for 'directories' and 'non-service-providers/hosts' from DMCA regulations is a blanket invitation to 'complaints' from every nutball in the universe to destroy *all* excuse a 'Search Engine' has for existing.
From ARS:
Andreas can indeed send them a 'counter notification' and should.
*But*, Google by claiming that its 'links' and 'directory' are subject to DMCA, is itself, despite *specific* exemptions in the DMCA, asking to be destroyed by any and all who prefer their victims incapable of finding 'information', thus removing any value it might have as a'Search Engine'.
Google's cowardice is real, even if it's primarilly the unwillingness to stand up for its own rights as a 'directory' rather than a 'service provider' or 'host'.
Zinj
Google has demonstrated it's short-sighted mercenary willingness to lemmingly wander over the cliff of opportunism.
*Especially* considering that the http://www.xenu.net site itself is still available *because* the 'claims' by the so-called Church of Scientology are as bogus as its Dogma.
Zinj