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Film Studios Send Takedown Notices About Takedown Notices

Posted by Soulskill on from the can-you-issue-a-takedown-for-the-streisand-effect? dept.

another random user sends this excerpt from the BBC: "Two film studios have asked Google to take down links to messages sent by them requesting the removal of links connected to film piracy. Google receives 20 million 'takedown' requests, officially known as DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notices, every month. They are all published online. Recent submissions by Fox and Universal Studios include requests for the removal of previous takedown notices. ... By making the notices available, Google is unintentionally highlighting the location of allegedly pirated material, say some experts. 'It would only take one skilled coder to index the URLs from the DMCA notices in order to create one of the largest pirate search engines available,' wrote Torrent Freak editor Ernesto Van Der Sar on the site."

12 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Sorry, the law doesn't work that way by afidel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm sorry but even the government is getting their hand slapped over secret proceedings (see the recent rulings regarding national security letters), there's no way we're going to allow companies to hide their actions in a civil matter.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:Sorry, the law doesn't work that way by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      we? "what's this we shit, white man?"

      'we' have stopped having control over our laws decades ago.

      'they' have control and everyone knows it. you been asleep or something?

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  2. Not raaaaaiiiiiiiiiaaaaain on your wedding day... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    By making the notices available, Google is unintentionally highlighting the location of allegedly pirated material, say some experts.

    See, Alanis, *this* is ironic.

  3. Wait a minute by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Was that a comment or a request for a development project?

  4. Yo, I heard you like the DMCA... by Arancaytar · · Score: 5, Funny

    (...)

  5. it is as we have feared. by nimbius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Takedown notices have become so widely applied to every aspect of internet content that they have evolved to become self aware.

    the DMCA is becoming t2@(35## NO CARRIER

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  6. Confidentiality not lawful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When you send a demand letter it is property of the recipient. They are free to publish it if they wish. A person receiving a DCMA take doewn notice is under no obligation, and in fact would be stupid to, agree to any confidentiality at all. The recipient is under no obligation to do so.

    A more pressing area of legal disclosure is charges against otherwise innocent until proven guilty persons. Prosecutors do perp walks, and public news conferences, all the time despite the legal, and ethical, and moral, land mines.

    JJ

  7. Re:Not raaaaaiiiiiiiiiaaaaain on your wedding day. by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Funny

    "It's like a million Dancing With The Stars, when all you want is Doctor Who..."

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    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  8. Critically important by OhHellWithIt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    By making the notices available, Google is unintentionally highlighting the location of allegedly pirated material, say some experts. 'It would only take one skilled coder to index the URLs from the DMCA notices in order to create one of the largest pirate search engines available,' wrote Torrent Freak editor Ernesto Van Der Sar on the site."

    I stumbled on one of these notices filed by the RIAA yesterday, and it seems not only reasonable but important for the notice to be posted, including the relevant URL; otherwise, how will I know that the site hosting the illegal material is doing so illegally? I looked at the site in question, and they most certainly didn't include any notice that downloading that particular song was a violation of copyright. But because of the notice that Google linked to, I knew that I shouldn't do it.

    It seems to me that MPAA and RIAA want to have their cake and eat it, too.

    --
    "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
  9. This was done by accident? by Stormin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    By making the notices available, Google is unintentionally highlighting the location of allegedly pirated material, say some experts.

    I thought that was kind of the whole point of the things being posted?

  10. Actually, meta-Streisand by srussia · · Score: 5, Interesting

    First there was the Streisand (unintentionally calling attention to what you don't want publicized),

    then the reverse Streisand (intentionally calling attention by demanding suppression of ostensibly unwanted but actually desired publicity),

    and now comes the meta-Streisand (unintentionally calling attention to intentional demands that caused unintentional publicity of what you didn't want publicized.)

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
  11. Re:Barbara Streisand effect... by Lazere · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who said anything about president? And there is the real problem, the people are only looking at the president, but when it comes to the people in the house/senate, they just vote for the guy who has the right letter behind them. Remember kids, the president doesn't make the laws. Please actually pay attention to your house/senate candidates next election.