HBO wants to take down... VLC?

[Plok 327]

It’s no secret that copyright holders are trying to take down as much pirated content as they can, but their targeting of open source software is something new. In an attempt to remove pirated copies of Game of Thrones from the Internet, HBO sent a DMCA takedown to Google, listing a copy of the popular media player VLC as a copyright infringement. An honest mistake, perhaps, but a worrying one.

 

(...)

 

During the past month alone copyright holders asked Google to remove 14,855,269 URLs from its search results. Unfortunately, not all of these requests are legitimate.

In some cases the notices are flagged as false because the content has already been removed from the original site. But the automated systems used by copyright holders also include perfectly legitimate content. While Google keeps a close eye on this type of “abuse” the search engine can’t spot them all.

 

One good example of such a mistake is contained in a recent demand by HBO. The network is faced with a high demand for pirated copies of Game of Thrones and over the past months they asked Google to remove tens of thousands of links to the popular TV-show.

 

Usually these notices ask Google to get rid of links to pirate sites, but for some reason the cable network also wants Google to remove a link to the highly popular open source video player VLC.

 

(...)

 

The same DMCA notice also lists various other links that don’t appear to link to HBO content, including a lot of porn related material, Ben Harper’s album Give Till It’s Gone, Naruto, free Java applets and Prince of Persia 5.

http://torrentfreak.com/hbo-asks-google-to-take-down-infringing-vlc-media-player-130715/

 

Alright, this needs to stop now.

[Luk3us 63]

They send those notices to everyone and anyone they don't really care. The joys of being the 'big guy'.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Something tells me Game of Thrones should deserve to be aired on a free national public channel one day either on FOX, CBS, NBC or ABC (only if the mature content is reduced), then HBO does not have to do all of this. But too bad the show is not free to watch anywhere and besides you can buy it on a DVD or Blu-ray set (although it's pricey to purchase).

[Guest Rabbit]

This is most definitely a sensationalized and barely true article.

 

If you look at the actual copyright complaint, the only link HBO wants google to remove is a link to the Torrent Portal VLC torrent. It does not in any way ask Google to remove links to VLC's actual website. This request is one request out of almost 900, and it was probably automated as a bot usually scans all these links and requests removals to damn near every torrent out there.

 

Torrent Freak went a little overboard with this. While yes, a false DMCA claim is a false DMCA claim, it's not like google will take it seriously, and it's not like this doesn't happen all the time.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

I expect zocom to get all riled over a non-issue, but not you, Plokite. Man, you've been edgy lately.

 

Anyhow, there is in, no way, that google would remove links to a completely legitimate media player. They have no reason to do so and not every DMCA or copyright claim is valid. Invalid ones get tossed into the garbage like everything else.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I LOLED when I read this recent article regarding Game of Thrones:

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/burning-why-hbo-happy-people-pirate-game-thrones-213902387.html

[Nyerguds 102]

Really, I got a copyright notice on youtube on a video containing RA2 video material, claiming it contained video material from the movie Watchmen. Which came out a year after I even posted that video. Boggles the mind.

[Plok 327]

Could you complain? Did you get the video back?

[Nyerguds 102]

Sorry, it was "Watchmen". I edited my post above.

 

The video is "blocked in some countries".

 

 

Now, the full scope is this: I have another (valid) remark on it about it using Nena's "99 luftballons". However, for some reason I could not complain against one claim while acknowledging the other; it was all handled as one thing. Totally ridiculous.

 

On top of that, the form to dispute the claim has a number of options like "fair use", "public domain", "I hold the copyright", "I own the CD/DVD or bought the song online.", "I'm not selling the video or making any money from it." (these last two are bull**** reasons on YT, but yep, they're on the list)

 

What is notably NOT in the list is, "The claim is wrong. The claimed material is not present in the video."

[Plok 327]

Fair use pretty much is your only option. If it's banned in Germany only, don't fear, they ban ****loads of things like that >.>

 

YouTube's customer service may be of use as well.