Google's Response to the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act

[HoverportMedia]

Only recently, I've seen more and more webpages that are violating the US Digital Millenium Copyright Act, via Google's search engine. Am I the only one that's noticing this happening more so recently? It really struck me today when I did a search for web design backgrounds.

[Reverend Jim]

...violating the US Digital Millenium Copyright Act, via Google's search engine

What do you mean?

[HoverportMedia]

To clarify it seems that these instances are occuring more and more on Google. (Not Bing, not Yahoo, etc).

[mike_2000_17]

Can you clarify what you mean by "violating the DMCA"? Can you provide some examples of search hits that direct to such "violations"? I really don't understand exactly what you are referring to.

And also, the internet is full of "questionable" content, so I would expect that any decent and respectable search engine would find a lot of that content. Any search engine that would do the opposite (aggressively filtering the searches) is not a search engine I would want to use. After all, a search engine should be a completely neutral player, the same goes for ISPs.

[Reverend Jim]

@HoverportMedia: I don't see why you are dragging Google into this at all. If a web page has content that violates the DMCA then that is a problem for whomever is hosting the site. Just because Google returns a link to that site does not make Google culpable in any way. I have to wonder why you raise this issue now? We've had sites like PirateBay and ISOHunt for years not to mention all the warez sites out there.

[mike_2000_17]

Exactly, don't blaim the messenger.

[HoverportMedia]

I actually can provide an example, if you type in Google's images "Web Design Background" at the bottom of the search results you will see something or exactly this line:

"In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint..."

By all means, I'm not questioning the content as it most likely does violate the US Digital Millenium Copyright Act. (and no its not mine material by any means XD) The question that becomes here, is the fact that I'm seeing more and more of these complaints on Google. Am I searching for questionable content? Nothing that an average marketing director wouldn't do on his daily searches. On a daily basis, I try to notice to see if Google made any changes to their engine.

Has there always been questionable content, yes. But I'm raising this question because I'm seeing more and more of these complaints on Google and I raise this question because I'm wondering if Google or if any other search engine is cracking down more and more so on material that does violate the act.

There's also the underlying factor that this is something I have always overlooked...

[mike_2000_17]

Ahh.. now I see what you mean. I had never noticed the DMCA notice at the bottom of searches. I'm guessing it's fairly new.

I think this just speaks to how insanely poorly constructed this law is. I understand that Google is just following the law, an insane law. By the logic of the law, one could outlaw the entire internet.

[Ketsuekiame]

Basically what this means is that someone (namely someone acting on behalf of a copyright holder) has told Google that X violates DMCA and, by law, now has to block the content from being returned in the search results.

It is not that Google has violated DMCA, simply that the copyright holder has requested Google block the result because the website in question is breaching the act. Google, in the interests of transparency, lets the users know if results are ommitted for this reason and even provides you a link to how many requests were submitted vs actioned.

@mike it's been this way for at least a year now, but it will only display it if any results returned are blocked by DMCA request.

[jwenting]

hmm, Google more likely provides that statement not "for transparency" but to protest them having to comply with the law.
They've for years been fighting intellectual property law in relation to their services (mostly Google Books and Youtube), and this is just one way they do it.