MPAA Blames Linux Australia Notice on Human Error

rjch writes "According to ZDNet Australia, the MPAA is blaming their recent takedown notice to Linux Australia as 'human error'. 'MPAA spokesman Matt Grossman denied the MPAA's system, which sends out 100,000 notices of claimed infringement on an annual basis was flawed. He said the organisation was not doing blind keyword matching against Internet content and sending out automatic infringement notices without checks, as Linux Australia had previously claimed.' When asked why this slipped through their checks, Grossman told Builder AU 'the answer is a simple human error unfortunately. Everyone has a bad day'. Grossman further denied the MPAA was sending out unsolicited e-mails."

Comments

Re:In their defense....

[Thiago Ize]

But this has happened before. I remember way back when they started this whole charade they accused some lady using a mac that she was pirating music using a program that only works on windows...

No, I'm afraid this has happened too many times already.

Human error? THEY ARE LYING

[Anonymous Coward]

This is what, the 100,000th incorrect 'copyright infringement' notice that's been sent out? And they claim it to be human error? Proof that they are FULL OF SHIT - this was received by someone at a board I frequent. Keep in mind this is a board where the topic is emulator-assisted videogame speed runs. Excerpts, since apparently in posting the whole thing I was using too many "junk" characters (the fuck?):

We have received information that you are providing Internet or Usenet access to the above
referenced account holder, or hosting the above referenced Internet site, which has made
available the download or streaming of copyrighted motion picture(s) including such title(s)
as:

SPEED

Infringement Detail:
Infringing Work: SPEED
Filepath: supermetroid-speedrunv3-frenom-avi.torrent/
Filen ame: supermetroid-speedrunv3-frenom.avi
First Found: 6 Sep 2004 00:29:14 EDT (GMT -0400)
Last Found: 6 Sep 2004 00:29:14 EDT (GMT -0400)
Filesize: 182,426k
IP Address: (removed)
IP Port: 26887
Network: BTPeers
Protocol: BitTorrent

If that's not patternmatching then they're hiring retards to send these notices out. I'm betting on robots.

Re:Just check by hand.

[bhima]

A few years ago I was getting to know a nice young lass in marketing. One afternoon she was preparing a mailing to some segment of our customers which literaly took up 7 US Post mailing bins. She was using an automated folder, stuffer, address labeler and sealer (all in one device that would fit on you desk) and it took her longer to decide not to go out with me than to process the mail...

So no, I don't think it would be eaiser or cheaper.

Re:Human Error ? Everyone has a bad day ?

[mrdaveb]

It's an ominous line that HAL says in "2001: A Space Odyssey"

Well MPAA can just pay penalties

[rfc1394]

U.S. Federal law specifies penalties for false or fraudulent takedown notices. Since these are sworn under penalty of perjury that the person who did so had a good-faith belief, this was obviously false and perjurous in nature.

Since the MPAA thinks a $3,000 to $11,000 judgement is acceptable for someone accused of 'stealing' music, then I suppose a $3,000,000 to $11,000,000 judgement is acceptable for someone from MPAA accused of fraud and perjury. I figure MPAA is at least 1,000 times the size of the average file swapper.