IP Arrow's DMCA Takedown Notices Claim UFC And Lynda.com Hold The Rights To Child Porn
from the beyond-bogus-into-potentially-damaging dept
Here's another one of those famous "anomalies": a DMCA takedown request that takes down tons of content that doesn't belong to the named rights holders. This DMCA request is almost all anomaly.IP Arrow claims to represent Zuffa Inc., better known as the parent company of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship.) We know algorithms are flawed but whatever software IP Arrow is deploying seems to randomly collect links and dump them in a DMCA notice. (Second theory: an IP Arrow employee's personal searches are somehow making their way onto the submitted forms.)
The UFC is notorious for aggressively pursuing infringement of its PPV events. Apparently, there's plenty of pre-recorded stuff floating around the net and the UFC wants that gone, too. Unfortunately for the UFC, it gave this job to IP Arrow. In return, IP Arrow has filed a DMCA request claiming (remember, this request is a sworn statement) that the UFC is the rights holder for (possible) child porn.
This isn't the only issue with the DMCA request, but it's by far the most damaging one. The rest of the notice contains some links to UFC content, but those links are the minority. This isn't a case of a few inadvertent links being swept up because of similar keywords or file names. This is a nearly-random link dump that requests takedowns of a wide variety of content completely unrelated to the UFC.
http://www.vertor.com/download/Bigcutie+KennedyThat's just a sampling of what's claimed to be UFC's copyrighted content by IP Arrow.
http://torrentcrazy.com/s/ps2-killzone-2
http://torrentcrazy.com/s/teen-truth-or-dare-xxx
http://rapidlibrary.com/files/nika-tsereteli-mamuka-berika-post-white-reggae-mp3_ulzwwzqrfvi89on.html
http://allsoftmac.com/movies/129370-hammer-of-the-gods-2013-limited-720p-brrip-x264-ac3-crewsade.html
http://allsoftmac.com/tv-shows/128962-pbs-secrets-of-the-dead-the-man-who-saved-the-world-2012-hdtv-720p-aac-x264-mvgroup.html
http://allsoftmac.com/tv-shows/129006-true-blood-s06e09-life-matters-web-dl-720p-dd51-h264-ntb.html
http://allmacsoft.com/e-books/129323-pannovation-and-the-gatefree-space-decentralized-innovation-is-a-game-changing-force.html
http://allmacsoft.com/software/129454-os-x-mavericks-109-developer-preview-4-macosx-dmg.html
http://torrentjo.com/Indian+Telly+Awards+-+25th+May+2013+-+Full+Episode-page8.html
http://rapidshare.zoozle.net/suche.php?q=blue+oyster+cult+the+ultimate
http://torrentcrazy.ee/torrent/2362056/xxx-comic-dragonball-z-extra-milk
According to Google's transparency report, IP Arrow is new to the anti-piracy game, having first showed up on August 5th. Since then, it has been very busy, firing off 61 takedown requests for 47,000 links in just over two weeks. Its other requests haven't been much better in terms of targeting only infringement of its clients' work. (Other clients are Lynda.com and Lionsgate Films.)
A takedown request on behalf of Zuffa/UFC sent August 5th asks for the removal of (among several other things) episodes of Big Bang Theory, a version of Nero Burning ROM and an album by the Handsome Furs. Here's an unedited chunk of one request, which shows the range of content IP Arrow is attempting to take down.
Its work for Lynda.com shows the same amount of incompetence. Lynda.com offers video courses on "business, software and creative skills" for $25/month. Here's what IP Arrow is taking down supposedly on Lynda's behalf.
Attempting to discover anything about IP Arrow's methodology is a dead end. Its website [which is down at the moment - cache link] is barely more than a placeholder (with a rather long TOS), sporting bold icons against a 1970s wood panel backdrop. It makes a few broad statements about how "different" its service is but contains no actual information as to how it performs this "different" work.
Judging from the quality of the DMCA notices it's issued, IP Arrow either has no idea what it's doing or just doesn't care. What's worse is that its submitted links have been taken down nearly 100% of the time, despite the fact that its DMCA notices are loaded with content its clients don't own. Its work for Lionsgate seems to be slightly more accurate than its takedowns for Lynda and Zuffa, but even those have a number of errors as well. Here it is attempting to take down infringing copies of one of the worst titled sequels ever, "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia."
I've contacted the companies IP Arrow is currently issuing takedowns for (along with IP Arrow itself -- whose site is now mysteriously down) and will update if I receive any replies. While I appreciate the fact that these companies are seeking to protect their copyrighted material, I think they should be concerned that the agent representing them is now linking their names with very questionable porn. They should also be concerned that these sworn statements are also claiming they "own" copyrighted content belonging to others, but I would imagine things like "incest porn" and "15 year old vaginas" appearing on takedown requests in their names will be more troubling to them than the serialized false statements IP Arrow is issuing.
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Filed Under: automated, child porn, dmca, dmca takedown, ufc, ultimate fighting championship
Companies: ip arrow, lionsgate, lynda.com, zuffa
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Major: Fear not, soldier, we shall not be defeat by Lord Masnick and his pesky facts and minions.
Soldier: But sir, this time the Anomaly Fault was not started by Lord Masnick, it was his evil General Tim "Lion" Cushing. Oh and we got hit by REPORT torpedoes.
Major: Hold on soldier, we have gone through this before.
Soldier: Now they are using the FOR THE CHILDREN phasers agains us!
Major: CUUUUUURSE YOU MASNICK!
Ahem.
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This was an attempt to troll him.
GAWD!
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!!
I had to defend OOTB!!
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So bad it's intentional?
We'll call that, the 'best case scenario'.
In order of bad to worse, the other two possibilities I can think of are:
1. The company filing the DMCA takedown requests have realized that there are no punishments for filing bogus takedown requests, and have thrown together a program that just searches through torrent lists and grabs names at random.
2. The torrents/files listed are reflections of what the people at the company are looking for in their spare time, or 'as part of the job', in which case given some of them, they have some serious explaining to do.
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Re: So bad it's intentional?
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Re: So bad it's intentional?
It may not be the crime they committed but it is good enough to get them serving time for falsely claiming a copy right interest.
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I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
But wait! What does the long absent minion say? --
"While I appreciate the fact that these companies are seeking to protect their copyrighted material," -- Okay! You support copyright, should stop there...
And perhaps consider whether the titles are accurate: the minion specifically didn't check... A pirate plank is that file hosts like Megaupload can't bar uploads on basis of a mere title even when accurately named -- so you just go barking off with the specter of child porn exactly as David Cameron does.
Gotcha. Your tactics vary to whatever is useful to you.
@ Ninja: thanks for the advance publicity! You really show how little effect I have here, by going barking off before I even post. No matter how many times I or others point out that you're just embiggening my effect, you manifestly cannot stop yourself -- because you've nothing else to say.
Mike supports copyright TOO! So why aren't you pirates attacking him at every turn? HMM?
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Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
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Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
Because we ALSO support copyright. What we do NOT support is this ongoing, deep-seated and penalty-free ABUSE of copyright that seems to be replacing your beloved "anomalies" at an alarming rate.
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Re: Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
However, with much greater Public Domain incentives, better fair use protections (including socially accepted behaviors such as file sharing) and proper punishment for abuses it could workout for sure.
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Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
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Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
Honestly, I didn't need YOU to tell me that most of these titles were NOT owned by the fucktards that were stupid enough to contract with IP Arrow.
But I do get what you're thinking...
In your (otherwise empty) head, "anomaly" is defined as "standard operating procedure."
The rest of us must be wrong...yeah, that's it.
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Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
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Re: Re: I've taught you all to recognize anomalies!
Be careful, if you say that five times in front of a mirror on a full moon ootb will jump out and snatch your flash drives.
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That's what it means in ootb speak
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 19th, 2013 @ 1:09pm
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Note to self, never drink and read TechDirt again.
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Where's SWAT
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Re: Where's SWAT
http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=878095
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It might be wise to CYA...
That is unless I'm being ultra paranoid, in which case, carry on.
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Re: It might be wise to CYA...
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Call the FBI, it sounds like a simple case of self incrimination.
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This law is a joke, the problem is it is not funny.
Don't jump fast enough, overreact quick enough we'll have you in court and be demanding fines and strip other protections.
Claim ownership of CP on a legal document, no big deal.
This helps highlight what the fuck is wrong with this country.
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Of course the file name will have nothing to do with the content, it would be just some kind of random name generator.
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In the US, depending on the state, yes.
http://www.lawserver.com/law/articles/age-of-majority
(Note: In Mississippi, it's 21)
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
child (chīld)
n.
A person between birth and puberty.
An unborn infant; a fetus.
An infant; a baby.
One who is childish or immature.
A son or daughter; an offspring.
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They aren't even actual files.
Those are fake results that simply mirror whatever you put into the search box. Unless there really are files on the net with the title of "hjgolfhjgflg". Try it, go to NowTorrents (or virtually any low-level torrent site) and type gibberish into the search box. You'll get 3-4 "sponsored" results at the top with whatever you typed in.
It's just a scam to get you to download malware.
Any time you search a site and the top 3-4 results are separate and say "sponsored", "full version", "high-speed" or "trusted download", avoid them like the plague that they are.
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maybe someone at the UFC did take the original photos
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new line of work
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I wonder how the MAFIAA would respond to this...
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Wait..? What?
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The explaination is easy
So basically, if the UFC comes up on these search pages, then the pages would get reported.
Further down, there is also a related "popular searches" which may have linked to UFC material.
The problem here is that you didn't look and didn't take a moment to understand what is going on, just fast to judgement. Perhaps you should be more concerned that this torrent site appears to be a great place to get child porn.
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So these IP protection companies they just send of a bunch of links to infringing or illegal content for removal to Google, with some from their actual client mixed in. They then report back to their clients that this many links were successfully removed.
Their clients then look at the report from Google showing how many links were removed, then they get paid accordingly.
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It's time for six strikes
I still like the idea of creating a six-strikes system against companies that file bogus takedown notices AND their "affiliates" that file claims on their behalf. I'd say to give them three strikes, but that's not needed when one takedown notice like this contains a lot more than six errors.
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