Slashdot Mirror
Anti-Piracy Firm Sends Out Wave of Takedown Notices For Using the Word 'Pixels'
An anonymous reader writes: Columbia Pictures recently released a movie called Pixels to widespread ambivalence. As part of the movie industry's standard intellectual property defense strategy, it hired anti-piracy firm Entura International to try to police infringing downloads. The firm went at the task with vigor, hitting Vimeo with DMCA takedown notices for anything with the word "Pixels" in it. As you might expect, this disrupted a number of independent filmmakers and organizations who did nothing wrong, and in most cases picked a name for their video long before the new movie came out. Even worse, it's incumbent upon the owners of the targeted videos to prove that their content does not infringe upon Columbia's. Even if they get it restored, simply being targeted counts against them in Vimeo's eyes. And of course, Entura is unwilling to help.
You have to be a corporation or at least something else that we may reasonably expect a campaign contribution from. Where have you been that you don't know that?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
In a past life, I ran some Forums on CompuServe. Paramount once sent us similar broad, misinformed takedown demands, pre-DMCA, seemingly regarding anything with TREK in it. This included photos of Trek brand bicycles, and news photos from 1976 of the Shuttle debut which happened to include Star Trek actors.
This garbage won't go away until there's a reasonable barrier to filing these, and an actual penalty for false claims. Perhaps an escrow of sweet delicious cash upon submission, released to the victim.
DMCA takedown won't cut it. Instead, go on the offensive and accuse Columbia Pictures for standard copyright violation.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/us...
While these aren't necessarily exclusive rights, I'm pretty sure it's meant to prevent plagiarism by someone putting their name on someone else's work. I'd love to see this tested on someone who makes false takedown claims.
I recall seeing a Youtube video where someone did the exact same pixel-invasion scenario. It starts with someone dumping an old TV, which then releases it's angry pixel payload, followed by space invaders who hit various cars, pac man who eats the subway stations (converting the staircases into just a few pixels), tertis blocks that remove floors of buildings, arkanoid paddles that remove bricks from a bridge, and finally ends with a bomb that turns the planet into one black pixel.
Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
I'm sure Columbia has their claim, but some indie beat them by five years As usual, it's a big publisher doing a keyword search without thinking about the consequences.
I prefer corporate death penalty. The company is instantly dissolved Loses it's corporation status and opens up all Board and executive members to be 100% liable and suable.
Government agents then dismantle the company and sell it off for it's assets within 30 days of the ruling.
That right there will overnight make all corporations stop acting like assholes.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I wonder if it is possible to bring a Class action lawsuit against Entura (and Columbia Pictures)? IANAL but there seems to be a class here. By filing DMCA claims, Entura have committed themselves to a legal document (even if that is an electronic document). Surely, if the claims in the document are clearly false, then Entura have committed multiple acts of perjury (as each claim is a legal statement invoking the DMCA). As Vimeo counts the DMCA claim against the user, even if that claim is proved invalid, then the users can show that they have suffered harm to their reputations.
"It does, but it only applies if the false claim is false in the sense that it wasn't filed by the copyright holder or someone they appointed to represent them."
Incorrect. You must sign under penalty of perjury that ALL CLAIMS MADE are accurate and made in good faith.
I file DMCAs quite often, so I know the whole rote already.
The claim made by the corporate representative is neither made in good faith (likely done automated) nor accurate.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Hasn't Entura committed libel, and can't they be held accountable for that?
One of the videos taken down was their own trailer for the film, so the process has already started.