Google's Information On DMCA Takedown Abuse 217
Binestar writes "According to a PC World article, Google has submitted a brief to New Zealand about its proposed copyright law (section 92A). "In its submission, Google notes that more than half (57%) of the takedown notices it has received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998, were sent by business targeting competitors and over one third (37%) of notices were not valid copyright claims.""
In Ancient Times (Score:5, Informative)
There was a time when music was sold as sheet music. Somehow Joplin was making a $100,000 a week in the 1920's, even though it's fairly trivial to simply hand-copy someone-else's work.
I know I'm preaching to the choir on this one, but copyright law is increasingly working more against society than in its interests, and this story just goes to prove that yet again. When laws hurt more than they help, they need to be changed or abolished.
Re:Note to summary writer... (Score:5, Informative)
Do you know what makes money the root of all evil? It[']s love.
Could mean "Love, in general, is the answer to the question" or "Love of money is what makes it bad."
See? Its absolutely possible to make a sentence where, when the apostrophe is misused, it's presence or absence matters.
Re:In Ancient Times (Score:4, Informative)
When laws hurt more than they help, they need to be changed or abolished.
Or in this case just not established in the first place. Thankfully the New Zealand Prime Minister has delayed the implementation of Section 92a and it may well be suspended. A big thank you has to go out to all those who took part in the Internet Blackout NZ [creativefreedom.org.nz]... blacking out NZ websites and profiles on popular social networking sites in protest of the proposed changes.
Content of Submission (Score:5, Informative)
Re:In Ancient Times (Score:4, Informative)
True, but this is why we should rely on good studies.
As it stand, it seems that, if anything, illegal online music distributors are helping sell music.
Obligatory Citation [bbc.co.uk]
Re:In Ancient Times (Score:3, Informative)
....but that doesn't necessarily mean that the abuses outweigh all the good.
57% were businesses targeting competitors. I take that to mean that they were trying to shut down their competitor's production/sales, rather than having a legitimate beef against a product.
If so, that means only 43% are legitimate claims, or even less if the 37% that aren't valid copyright claims isn't just a subset of the 57%.
I'd say >57% abusive, 43% not abusive means that the abuses outweigh the good.
Re:Well DUH!!! (Score:5, Informative)
In a world where executives of companies that lose money expect as a matter of course to be paid millions of dollars of bonuses, it is a given that a tool such as the DMCA **WILL** be abused to silence opposition or competition...
Which is why this needed to be pointed out to politicians who can't think ahead for themselves.
Re:Are those overlapping percentages? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:So... (Score:5, Informative)
"I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
From here [copyright.gov],
"(v) A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
(vi) A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
makes it sound as though the minimum requirements may be slightly looser. IANAL, though.
Re:So... (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2006/12/04/update-michael-crook-responds-to-eff/ [plagiarismtoday.com]
Diebold paid $125,000 for false DMCA takedowns
http://www.citmedialaw.org/threats/diebold-inc-v-online-policy-group [citmedialaw.org]
Universal: EFF SLAPPed us with dancing toddler DMCA lawsuit
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/04/universal-eff-slapped-us-with-dancing-toddler-dmca-lawsuit.ars [arstechnica.com]
DMCA takedown backlash: EFF sues Viacom over Colbert parody clip
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2007/03/dmca-takedown-backlash-eff-sues-viacom-over-colbert-parody-clip.ars [arstechnica.com]
Re:In Ancient Times (Score:3, Informative)
What Joplin are you referring to? Janis wasn't born until 1943 and Scott died in 1917. Neither made anything close to $5.2 million a year from what I can tell.
Re:Note to summary writer... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Note to summary writer... (Score:1, Informative)
Rhiza gar panton ton kakon estin he philarguria. So it's literally "all the evils".
Re:In Ancient Times (Score:3, Informative)
The music might be in the public domain, but the sheet music probably isn't.
On the contrary, it is. [google.com] All the old literary masters are on the internet as well.
Re:Are those overlapping percentages? (Score:3, Informative)
That link you provide says that the ideal serving temperature for coffee is 155-175. So it appears that McDonald's was serving their coffee about 20 degrees above the recommended temperature if in fact they were serving the coffee at 185 degrees.