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Google Removes Links in Response to DMCA Complaint

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-thats-just-scary dept.

dioscaido writes "If you search Google for Kazaa Lite, you'll find the results a bit lacking. Ironically enough, Sharman Networks, using the DMCA, filed a legal complaint to block Kazaa Lite sites. " Google links the DMCA request at the end of the results which contain the URLs in question, but the URLs aren't really the point. It's scary that the DMCA makes URLs a copyright violation. How long before libraries can't index books? Or own them?

17 of 495 comments (clear)

  1. Ironic by heironymouscoward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    KazaaLite is a hack of Kazaa, and thus blatant piracy. But Kazaa itself is dubious stuff, filled with spyware. Sigh. Perhaps we will see a version of KazaaLite distributed through Kazaa?

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    1. Re:Ironic by SnowWolf2003 · · Score: 5, Informative

      When I installed the latest version of KazaaLite it automatically copied the installation file into my shared folder. Just search for klitekpp242e.exe on Kazaa.

    2. Re:Ironic by King_TJ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm not even sure I'd classify Kaaza Lite as "clearly crooked" myself, much less "blatant piracy".

      Here's why I say that:

      Kaaza Lite was an attempt to "de-louse" all the spyware bundled up into Kaaza. If it was truly a piracy attempt (hijaacking someone else's code), they would have changed the name of the software and played things off like it was their own original work. None of this seems to be the case. In fact, every reference to Kaaza Lite I've seen makes it pretty clear that it, indeed, *is* the Kaaza software, except cleaned up so it won't fill your computer with unwanted "extras".

    3. Re:Ironic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I believe that Sharman Networks is attempting to sell a version of Kazaa called Kazaa plus, which is kazaa with new search and download features minus the banner ads and popups. Does this mean that it is spyware free? If so, then Kazaa lite is a threat to the sales of their "new and improved" software. Of course they are going to do what they can to cut off access to the hacked versions of their software.

  2. strange... by di0s · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I thought Sharman Networks was incorporated in Australia. How can they use a foreign law like that?

    1. Re:strange... by C10H14N2 · · Score: 5, Informative

      The Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789 allows it.

      The act gives Federal jusidiction over "any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." The ATCA can be used via proxy by non-US entities as long as they can establish some reasonable connection to a US entity, such as relatives (in the case of people) or parents/subsidiaries (in the case of companies). Since copyright is covered in numerous treaties, particularly the Berne Convention, it is open season.

  3. A bit lacking by Melex · · Score: 5, Funny

    How is 372 000 results a bit lacking

  4. Google's downfall by SnowWolf2003 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this the beginning of the end? When google stops returning the results I am looking for, it is time to start looking for a new search engine that will.

  5. But it's still appearing in the Adwords!!! by donnacha · · Score: 5, Interesting


    This is hilarious:

    Before I even had a chance to scroll down the page to look at the DMCA message, I noticed that the Adwords are full of links to Kazaa Lite!

    I guess Google's financial team is a little tougher than their search team.

  6. Re:Priceless. by aagren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't get it. How would companies like Sherman Networks find sites to throw the DMCA at if it weren't for a site like google?

    If google decided not to cache any sites with the word 'kazaa' in it, I'm pretty sure that the users of it would find it anyhow, but the pointy haired suits at Sherman Networks would probably not find it as easely.

    Sounds to me like they are shooting themselves in the foot.

  7. Re:DMCA ... by RonnyJ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Unfortunately, the same message is displayed on the google.co.uk version, where the DCMA should have no effect - why can't they just have the restriction on the .com site?

  8. Meanwhile, outside Googleland... by Linker3000 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have just tried Kazaa Lite on various other search engines and meta search engines, and without fail they return at least one of the forbidden 8 sites that Google removes:

    Altavista

    Webcrawler

    Teoma

    Dogpile

    Obviously not a comprehensive effort (I have a 3yr old son to entertain right now and that's much more important!), but it leads to the conclusion that either the complainant thinks the world revolves around Google OR the other sites haven't checked their mail yet!

    As others have pointed out, the genie is out of the bottle and so semi-hiding the links is going to be pointless. I loved the written up DMCA complaint--putting the list of banned sites on it is kind of like having an English test question that says: Write down the correct spelling of following word: 'incomprehensible'? .

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  9. A different perspective... by Baron_Yam · · Score: 5, Funny

    Summary:Kazaa C&Ds Google, because it's easier than tracking down all the offending sites and C&Ding them individually. The justification for the C&D - Kazaa Lite is illegal, Google is providing easy access to Kazaa Lite.

    What if Google turned around and said, "Kazaa is using Google to facillitate tracking down sites infringing on its intellectual property. Please pay Google the following outrageous fee for legal research assistance."

    In my opinion, C&Ding a search engine is like trying to have a municipality remove street addresses from buildings containing businesses you don't like. It's just stupid.

  10. What's funny... Read the complaint by ogre2112 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They list all the blocked links in the complaint, which google points to as a mention of why they blocked the sites:

    a. http://www.kazaagold.com
    b. http://mp3download.com
    c. http://www.kazaalite.tk
    d. http://www.kaaza.com
    e. http://doa2.host.sk
    f. http://www.k-lite.tk
    g. http://www.kazaa-file-sharing-downloads.com
    h. http://www.kazaalite.nl
    i. http://home/hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm
    j. http://www.kazaa-download.de
    k. http://www.zeropaid.com
    l. http//www.kazaalite.nl/downloads.htm
    m. http://kazaa.infos-du-net.com
    n. http://www.kazaa-lite.tk
    o. http://www.kazaa-lite.info

    1. Re:What's funny... Read the complaint by WWWWolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What is interesting is that Google lists the sites that have been removed due to DMCA, yes. I first saw this in the case when the Church of Scientology tried to use DMCA to de-list pages critical to them.

      The effect is precisely not what the people who invoked DMCA wanted to happen, though.

      Google is basically saying "Okay, we would have shown you these sites, but we were told not to". And people are far more curious about seemingly forbidden knowledge =)

      Let us rejoice that Google still can tell that the sites were censored and is not required to act ignorant ("DMCA-delisted site? Where? We have no DMCA-delisted sites here, no sir, and if we did, they would be, after all, delisted!").

  11. Re:Priceless. by danila · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's sad that Google decided not to do just that. Since they are under no obligation to index ANY sites, they could have just removed all pages that have high relevance on "kazaa" query. That would really send a message to the lawyers that you don't force search engines to filter results. Unfortunately, Google didn't do that and established an ugly precedent. It's good that they at least included the DMCA mention, but it's bad nevertheless. And it would be much better if the notice was at the top, on a bright red background, like a MEGA-SPONSORED link, so that noone could miss it. :) It would also be great if they listed in plain text the sites that they are prohibited from linking to. :) But alas, they were too frightened. :( I don't know why, because obviously, no sane judge would order Google to close, no matter what...

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  12. thought police by dbc001 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Apparently there are pieces of information that Americans are not allowed to write down. We are definitely edging towards thought crime here. Between this and the illegality of writing virii (i know its spelled wrong but it looks better), we are on our way! I just wonder when someone will get punished for writing these things with pen & paper instead of electronically...