AT&T Jumps Into The Metered Broadband Game

Reminder: Google Is An MP3 Search Engine Too

from the as-if-you-didn't-know-that dept

Tue, Nov 4th 2008 3:05pm — Mike Masnick

We've pointed out many times in the past that the various Torrent tracker sites out there that the entertainment industry is suing are not particularly different than Google. All of them are search engines and can find unauthorized music for you. Some entertainment industry defenders get upset by this argument pointing out that Google's search isn't just designed for such files, but that's rather meaningless. A bunch of folks have been submitting a story from about a month ago (which is probably getting attention now because it made it to Digg's front page) about how easy it is to find MP3s on Google with some basic querying. This isn't new, and I doubt many people really needed this article to understand how to do this, but it does highlight the same point. If Google is equally as effective as various torrent trackers in finding unauthorized content, why aren't the entertainment industry giants suing Google for the same thing?

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Filed Under: search engines
Companies: google

17 Comments

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Stute, 4 Nov 2008 @ 3:29pm

Sue Google?
I'd pay to see that.
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Ben, 4 Nov 2008 @ 3:41pm

Not likely. . .
Because Google has deeper pockets than they do and that would mess up their whole strategy of picking on people that can not afford to defend themselves.
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abba12, 4 Nov 2008 @ 3:47pm

LOL that would be something to see!
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Brian, 4 Nov 2008 @ 3:56pm

Follow-up Question
Given Google's recent affinity for payoffs instead of principled fights we should be asking; If sued would google fight the good fight or bribe the RIAA with a settlement like they did with book publishers?
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 4 Nov 2008 @ 3:57pm

Lawsuit filed in...
...3...2...
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Chris In Utah, 4 Nov 2008 @ 4:12pm

Haha
Let's hear it for "To big to fail" again.
Seems the new corporate slogan.

War on = War of morality.

Prohibition never works. Takes the control strait out of the hands you want it in. This goes to this and people like my dad needing something for nausea in his cancer treatments.

There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.
Leonardo da Vinci
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John (profile), 4 Nov 2008 @ 4:19pm

At least some ethics?
I wonder if they aren't suing Google because of some twisted sense of ethics. As long as they sue only "pirate" sites, they can take the moral high ground and claim they're protecting themselves from the "bad guys".

But, how will the public react if the RIAA sues Google, their favorite search/ e-mail/ everything else site? How will the RIAA claim moral high ground?
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inc, 4 Nov 2008 @ 4:49pm

I've used google but seeqpod is better, Plus on a hacked iPhone with dTunes you can download mp3 straight to your phone over the ultra fast 3G network :)
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Bob, 4 Nov 2008 @ 5:21pm

Re:
Please tell me you're kidding with that ultra fast 3G network nonsense......
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inc, 4 Nov 2008 @ 6:09pm

Re: Re:
hehe, depends on what you consider ultra fast. AT&T is now where near it
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Nov 2008 @ 9:37pm

you can even find "widgets" or what ever there called to add to your igoogle page that that are designed to search for mp3s only.

that reminds me all those mp3s are hosted on rapidshare

so here are 2 new targets to sue
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Paul Rios, 5 Nov 2008 @ 2:34am

Re: Haha
I think we may soon see Google overreaching since they seem to be getting that "untouchable" attitude and like the old saying goes about power and corruption...even the good guys need to be kept in check before they spiral downwards after gaining the trust of the people.

BTW...

I feel you on your reference to your father on that one. My friends step-father is in the same predicament and so I bend/break the law to ease his suffering since nothing else works, and I too use it for my anxiety and depression.

I live in TX where we have a tax stamp, but try to pay the taxes and do the right thing (rip off at $3.50 PER GRAM!)...off to jail you go. So the government would rather basically encourage criminal activity instead of helping people....very sad if you ask me. Free the plant that can unify humanity!
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moe, 5 Nov 2008 @ 4:16am

A little different depending on the torrent search site
There is one big difference between the Goog and certain torrent search sites. I know there are torrent search sites that are simply search engines. But, there are also torrent tracker/search engines. Torrent tracker sites, if I understand the technology correctly (and I think I do), play an active role in the distribution by providing the "tracking" mechanism.

Whereas Google and other torrent search sites just show you torrents being tracked on various sites, the torrent tracker search sites both provide a search engine and track the torrents.

Having said that, I'm in the "torrent sites aren't illegal" crowd. But, i did want to point out that key difference. If my understanding of how it all works is wrong, please correct me.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Nov 2008 @ 5:09am

"Some entertainment industry defenders get upset by this argument pointing out that Google's search isn't just designed for such files, but that's rather meaningless."

Intent is meaningless?
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chris (profile), 5 Nov 2008 @ 6:25am

google copies content all the time
that's the "cached" feature so you can see sites that have disappeared. it's literally a copy of another site that google didn't seek permission for.

no one cares about that for some reason.

don't get me wrong, it's a great feature and i don't want it to go away, it just illustrates how arbitrary this whole piracy thing is.
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Eric, 5 Nov 2008 @ 12:33pm

Re: google copies content all the time
Just wanted to mention that the issue isnt very arbitrary. google has won a judgement in nevada about its cache

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2006/01/google-cache-ruled-fair-use

and lost one in belgium

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070213.w2belggoogle0213/BNStory/Busi ness/home
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putyourendtowar, 29 Jan 2009 @ 1:47pm

blocking the internet proprietary viewing
google is a rape engine; corporations are manipulating how we access and view data with the piece of shit. we demand the right to privacy and freedom of living without usury. give us a public channel without the spam.
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