February 28, 2012, 10:11 AM —
flickr/Yogesh Mhatre
Techdirt finds that a popular post outlining the problems with SOPA/PIPA cut from Google search listings by a protest from the porn industry.
From the DMCA Abuse department at Techdirt comes the story of how their "Definitive Post" on why SOPA and PIPA are bad ideas, with 327 comments, disappeared from Google's search listings. Turns out a DMCA takedown notice hired gun Armovore listed their post as number 253 in a list of 555 instances of copyright abuse. Google, restrained by DMCA, eliminated the post but put their notice explaining why, along with the official complaint. This allowed Techdirt to find out what happened.
No, Techdirt didn't include stolen porn photos in their anti-SOPA and PIPA explanation. But Paper Street Cash included them in their complaint in support of their website TeamSkeet. Purely accidental? Perhaps, but the takedown order was filed on January 20, the day SOPA supporters waved the white flag. Fans of coincidence hiding conspiracies should be delighted. At least the post is back up after Google's review of the takedown notice.
The system is broken
Don't settle. We need precedent.
Anonymous Coward on techdirt.com
I wonder if they've simply done a search (presumably on Google) for certain terms (possibly including "torrent" and "innocent", both of which appear in the Independent article) and submitted that list to Google.
Duke on techdirt.com
And this is why there needs to be automatic punishment of bogus DMCA claims, once they have to pay when they screw up they might actually try and do a much better job.
That_Anonymous_Coward on boingboing.net
What I read between the lines: The MAFIAA is setting up porn companies in order to use them to discredit opponents through bogus DMCA take down notices.
Anonymous Coward on techdirt.com
The fact that Google was notified, while Techdirt was not is extremely dubious in itself.
saulgoode on techdirt.com
The system works
Someone tried to give them the soft-SOPA!
SoItBegins on boingboing.net
This would be a great case study; see how the DMCA provisions for wrongful takedowns play out. Couldn't be better subject matter.
GMacGuffin on techdirt.com
It's good that the US is still the land of "Innocent until proven guilty" and not vice-versa or even secretly guilty while it's convenient.
mindstab on news.ycombinator.com
Outrage
Abusive Copyright used to censor articles on Copyright Abuse!
Lobo Santo on techdirt.com
I think the copymight maximalists really believe they have the 'right' to own ideas in perpetuity. I suppose they look at limited copymight terms, fair use, and the public domain as encroachments on their divine right to control other people's thoughts.
Marja Erwin on boingboing.net
The DMCA complaint on behalf of Paper Street Cash also ordered one of their own websites taken down for infringement. Either these guys are clueless or the DMCA system is rife with abuse. Or both.
