Slashdot Mirror
Victims Fight Back Against DMCA Abuse
Cadence writes "The DMCA is being used a lot recently to demand takedowns of all sorts of content on the Internet. But how many of those DMCA-fueled demands are abusive? Lately, some victims of takedown demands have begun to fight back with the help of the EFF, including some against Viacom: 'Finally, a Viacom executive admitted last month that less than 60 of his company's 100,000 takedown requests to YouTube were invalid. John Palfrey of Harvard's Berkman Center wonders what rights those 60 people have? We may find out. The EFF called for people who had videos pulled inappropriately to contact the group, though the EFF tells The National Law Journal that it cannot comment on its future legal plans. One of the reasons companies misuse the DMCA and cease-and-desist copyright letters is that the tools can quickly accomplish what they want to have happen; stuff they don't like goes bye-bye in a hurry. When the alternative is moving slowly through the court system, letters look like an excellent alternative.'"
less than 60/100,000 = .0006 x 100 = .06%. (Cross fingers. Beware of public math.)
But oh, NO! These sixty precious individuals have been harmed for life! Post traumatic stress! An early death! Liability! Liability! Liability! PROOF the DMCA is FLAWED! 60 people GOT A LETTER, and they subsequently transformed themselves into a pool of shaking jello on the floor unable of even the faintest response. Get a lawyer. Sue! Sue! Sue!
On the other hand, you could get a life. Can you point to anything else with a lower error rate? The police? The military? Your code? Your 'hit rate?' Your life?
No.