from the organized-crime-by-any-other-name dept.
According to a report at TorentFreak, Google has gotten so fed up with the MPAA making snarky remarks about them that they have ended cooperation on anti-piracy measures:
After delivering a major blow to torrent sites during October, Google must've thought the MPAA would be pleased. Instead, however, the MPAA issued a 'snarky' press release. According to a leaked email, the press release so infuriated Google's top brass that the company ended cooperation with the MPAA.
Each week Google removes millions of ‘infringing’ links from search engine results at rightsholders’ request, 9.1 million during the last documented week alone. In the main Google removes these links within hours of receiving a complaint, a record few other large sites can match.
But no matter what Google does, no matter how it tweaks its search algorithms, it’s never been enough for the MPAA. For years the movie group has been piling on the pressure and whenever Google announces a new change, the MPAA (and often RIAA) tell the press that more can be done.
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Earlier this month, [TechDirt] noted that the Hollywood studios were all resisting subpoenas from Google concerning their super cozy relationship with Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, whose highly questionable "investigation" of Google appeared to actually be run by the MPAA and the studios themselves. The entire "investigation" seemed to clearly be an attempt to mislead the public into believing that it was somehow illegal for Google's search engine to find stuff that people didn't like online. A court has already ruled that Hood pretty clearly acted in bad faith to deprive Google of its First Amendment rights. As the case has continued, Google has sought much more detail on just how much of the investigation was run by the MPAA and the studios -- and Hollywood has vigorously resisted, claiming that they really had nothing to do with all of this, which was a laughable assertion.
However, in a filing on Thursday, Google revealed one of the few emails that they have been able to get access to so far, and it's stunning.
To read some of the content of the e-mail (which really is stunning, if only for how openly the MPAA is doing this), read more here: TechDirt article
takyon: Dec. 12: Google Ends MPAA Anti-Piracy Cooperation
Dec. 23: As Hollywood Funds a SOPA Revival Through State Officials, Google (And The Internet) Respond
Jul. 3: Google Scolds MPAA on Cozy Relationship With the Mississippi Attorney General
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @02:54AM
"After delivering a major blow to torrent sites"
Yeah, that never happened. People can still easily find them.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @12:59PM
TorrentFreak measured big traffic decreases to the sites after Google's changes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @02:05PM
There are millions of such sites. The people just flocked elsewhere. Just removing results from search engines isn't going to make people stop downloading.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:02PM
http://torrentfreak.com/googles-new-downranking-hits-pirate-sites-hard-141023/ [torrentfreak.com]
1. The sites themselves were still accessible.
2. The traffic drops happened, and were confirmed by site operators.
3. Google is the #1 search engine.
4. Many users are not tech savvy.
Does MAFIAA targeting search engines kill torrent sites? Unlikely. But it has an effect.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @11:12PM
That's not the point. I'm saying there are many, many replacements, even in Google results. The effect on *copyright infringement* is negligible at best. People will just go elsewhere.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Saturday December 13 2014, @02:57AM
The MPAA and their authoritarian ilk won't be happy until they have full control of everything and can censor anything they want on demand, with the costs of "copyright enforcement" paid for by others, of course. Because, as everyone knows, free speech and due process are simply less important than copyright enforcement.
(Score: 5, Informative) by frojack on Saturday December 13 2014, @04:02AM
They've already asked congress for the right to break into your computer and search it and delete content.
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/riaampaa-wants-to-install-spyware-on-your-computer-16-04-2010/ [geeky-gadgets.com]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @04:57AM
When he got in, Obama (having a supermajority of Democrats in Congress) made the giant mistake of extending the olive branch to the Reactionaries.
They have taken every concession, asked for more, and given nothing in return.
The Republicans have also made every effort to stab him in the back.
Apparently, the management at Google doesn't take any notice of the news and hasn't caught on to Reactionary tactics.
-- gewg_
(Score: 5, Funny) by aristarchus on Saturday December 13 2014, @06:35AM
I will download two movies illegally in their honor! Praise be to the MPAA! May Copyright be merciful to them!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:01PM
Better you don't watch any movies within the first two weeks of release. That's when they make their most money and when the main box office records are calculated.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:00AM
Two evils will eventually turn on each other. It's what one would call "Jew-on-Jew violence"
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by TheGratefulNet on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:12AM
eat a bag of dicks, racist motherfucker.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:43AM
stop calling people racist for mentioning the word jew, they aren't even a race.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @05:30AM
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Lagg on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:45AM
Sir, are you saying that jews are a race separate from our own? Dats racist man.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @06:22AM
Not to mention eating a bag of dicks. Not my forte but some may might like it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:44AM
I wonder if some leaked e-mails from the Sony hack contained the last straw?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Ellis D. Tripp on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:04PM
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/12/7382287/project-goliath [theverge.com]
"Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!"--Edward Abbey
(Score: 1) by Valkor on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:44AM
Great! Fuck the MPAA and RIAA!
(Score: 1, Informative) by Pino P on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:47AM
"Furious Google Ended MPAA Anti-Piracy Cooperation" --TF
"Google Ends MPAA Anti-Piracy Cooperation" --SN
On sites documenting the copyfight, "MPAA" often refers to the big six film studios collectively as a rough synonym for "Hollywood", much as "Bollywood" refers to Indian studios. People used to this metonymy [wikipedia.org] might get confused about whether Google is cooperating with anyone in the motion picture industry. The headline almost reads as if Google has switched off the mechanism of demoting mass-infringement sites that it had introduced in October.
But the article goes on to clarify that even though Google may have ended cooperation with the MPAA as an organization over an overly snarky comment, Google is still maintaining friendly relations with each studio. Is there a good way to reword the headline to more clearly distinguish the literal MPAA (the trade association) from the figurative MPAA (its members)?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @05:00AM
Whenever I want a shorthand term for Big Content, I say MAFIAA.
That folds in RIAA and BSA and reminds me of the old line:
What do you have when you've got a lawyer buried up to his neck in sand?
Not enough sand.
-- gewg_
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:49AM
“If once you have paid him the Danegeld
You never get rid of the Dane.”
―Rudyard Kipling
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bradley13 on Saturday December 13 2014, @09:48AM
Good for Google - I hope they do not reverse course.
If there have ever been two organizations that are counterproductive to their stated goals, it is the MPAA and the RIAA. They have worked tireleslly to promote piracy and to hinder their respective industries from moving into the Internet era. Why the industry players continue to fund them, is a mystery.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bradley13 on Saturday December 13 2014, @09:56AM
Note also this article by TechDirt discussing how the MPAA is directly funding state AGs to harrass Google [techdirt.com]. Apparently bordering on bribery; certainly improper. This is another yet another reason for Google to be totally pissed at the MPAA.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @03:37PM
That is probably one of the multitude of reasons Sony is trying to suppress the torrents out there. They have a LOT of dirty laundry and I am sure we are only starting to see bits and pieces. If you read some of the movies that got spiked you can see the arrogance and dishonesty on all sides. Honestly, this could happen to more companies we would see what is really going on and how our political class are bought and paid for. They are so busy screwing everyone over it never occurs to them to stop and think 'what if we actually did the right thing'.
I would not be surprised if Sony spins off its entertainment division in the next year or two. It has become a albatross on their neck and frankly has distracted them from making good hardware. Once the emails start popping up how they are bullying the other divisions it will get wicked bloody.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 13 2014, @07:14PM
Their entertainment division was a problem since DAT tapes that let you only copy one generation.
Later, they removed the "Other OS" feature from the second personal computer declared a munition by the US.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by HiThere on Saturday December 13 2014, @08:25PM
Sony used to be a good name, but would you trust them now even if they spun off their entertainment division? The management has become totally corrupt.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.