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Automated DMCA Takedown Notices Request Censorship of Legitimate Sites
Techmeology writes "Microsoft has sent automated DMCA notices to Google demanding the removal of several legitimate URLs from its search results that Microsoft claims were facilitating the distribution of illegal copies of Windows 8, including links to BBC news articles, Wikipedia pages, U.S. government websites, and even Bing! The erroneous DMCA notices are being sent automatically by rights holders, who are increasingly using such techniques."
Was looking for some info on QAM tuning for my tv tuner card and google search had a warning about blocked content at the bottom of each search results page.
If you wrongly claim to own the copyright or be the agent of someone who does, there is a penalty under the perjury clause. If you wrongly claim you are the person who the notice was targeting or an agent of them, the same exists.
However, the validity of the take down notice as in the actual content is what you claim or that the use of it was an actual violation of the copyright does not carry an explicit penalty under the DMCA. This is because the DMCA is not really about the claims, copyright, or fair use, but a way for network and service providers to act on the claims without becoming liable themselves.
Practically speaking, anyone who is the victim of a fraudulent claim can sue the person who made the claim for damages. If they pretend they are in collusion with the service provider and it wasn't a DMCA take , then the service or network provider that disabled access to the service is not shielded from liability either. Unfortunately, often the damages are far less then the cost of suing or the resources someone might have available to push the buttons.
Perhaps you haven't put the line through all the dots yet... that is the plan. Crush the internet as we know it, and replace it with something that resembles phone service. You pay for their service, they give you what they feel like, you pay what they demand, and you shut your mouth and enjoy it, or do without. This wild anything goes hippy-fest, communist plot that we currently call the internet is an unending pain in their collective sides and they must do anything they can to kill it, so when you say you hope it dies, you're in fact serving their interest.
It is time for Americans, to build a completely free and unregulated internet. One not subject to government control, and for the luv-o-jebus utterly inaccessible to large corporate interests. It should be free, open and paid for by donations from users who want to circumvent the increasingly pay-per-screw models being inflicted on the users by the monolithic service providers of the world. Most important, it should route around existing systems of control and manipulation. There is no sane argument against having a free and unrestricted system of communications among people. We've been fed lies and hyperbole by people whose interest is that we keep the masses in line. This isn't about stopping a handful of predators, and it never has been. You don't destroy a $50,000 vehicle to get at a 10 cent fuse. Our entire society has become a means by which wealthy powers have concentrated wealth and power to give them control and authority over the groveling masses. Its about time for the masses to tell the powers to kiss their collective asses, we'll take care of ourselves thanks.