Nonprofit Group Shows Misplaced Shock At The Fact That Google Video Has Copyrighted Content

from the this-is-news? dept

Tue, Jul 24th 2007 8:07am — Mike Masnick

It's fairly stunning how often people try to blame Google for something that isn't its fault at all. Witness the latest coming from the nonprofit organization the National Legal and Policy Center. It's claiming that, shocker of all shockers, there's some infringing content hosted on Google's video service. And, this organization which claims the reason they're bringing up this important matter is because it's "focused on ethics and accountability," never bothers to actually understand what's going on and who should actually be accountable. It's not Google who is uploading the content here. The NLPC claims that this is a weak excuse but never bothers to explain how Google is supposed to know what content is up there on purpose with the support of the content owners and which isn't. In fact, one of the movies that the NLPC lists is Michael Moore's Sicko, which Michael Moore doesn't seem to mind being online. The NLPC doesn't explain how Google is supposed to police every single upload. It doesn't explain why the service provider should be blamed for the actions of its users. That's because it just wants to make a big statement and make Google look bad. And, to be honest, making such statements without understanding what's actually going on for the purpose of smearing a company doesn't seem particularly ethical or accountable for an organization that claims its focused on both things.

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Filed Under: copyright, video
Companies: google

13 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 8:20am

The real question...
So, what are they selling?
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 8:33am

WHen will they learn
So if I make a drug deal over the phone, should the phone company be charged with abetting? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
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- .Net Developer, 24 Jul 2007 @ 1:00pm
  
  Re: WHen will they learn
  Just as stupid is suing the gun manufacturer when a gun they sold LEGALLY is used in a crime...oh wait, that has happened already too.
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- inc, 24 Jul 2007 @ 2:40pm
  
  Re: WHen will they learn
  Ya... I'm gonna use this defense if I get bust doing my drug deals. err... if I did that sort of thing.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 8:44am

If someone steals my car and drives it down the highway, do I have the right to sue the state? Because, they allowed that car to drive down the highway. Keep in mind that I haven't called the cops and put them on the lookout for my stolen car. Also, my car has OnStar. Do I have the right to sue?
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 9:10am

LOL!!
I'm just waiting for the day that politicians start suing for losing elections.

A student suing his professor for assigning too much homework in class.

Maybe sports team suing for losing the championship.

An attacker suing his/her intended victim for fighting back with "execcesive" force.

And the sad part is two of those things I just listed have already happened...
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- Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 10:09am
  
  Re: LOL!!
  Not sure, but I think all four of these have already occurred.
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Buzz, 24 Jul 2007 @ 9:34am

...
I eagerly await the day when it becomes legal to sue stupid people purely on account of stupidity.
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- .Net Developer, 24 Jul 2007 @ 12:58pm
  
  Re: ...
  It should also be illegal to be really stupid...call it felony stupid. :)
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2007 @ 9:42am

every1 is after the big fish.
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insomniac, 24 Jul 2007 @ 11:12am

Why can't we take on other countries political system (Brittan I think) where the loosing party pays all court costs. That would cut down to just the big fish sewing the big fish till there all dead.
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- insomniac, 24 Jul 2007 @ 11:14am
  
  Re:
  err sewing = suing my bad :-)
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Overcast, 24 Jul 2007 @ 11:28am

Could we sue lawyers for getting people out of jail if they commit a second offense? Perhaps that's a good idea.
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