Facebook Announces Its ContentID Attempt... Using Audible Magic
from the because-of-course dept
A few weeks ago we noted that it appeared that Facebook was building its own ContentID system to try to takedown videos copied from elsewhere... and voila, here it is. Facebook has now announced its new system, which is powered by AudibleMagic -- the same company that powers every other such system that is not Google's ContentID. Audible Magic is the "default." It's basically the "buying IBM" of content/copyright filtering. And it tends to be pretty bad. Facebook notes that its videos are already run through Audible Magic and that has basically done nothing. So they're "working with Audible Magic to enhance the way the system works."We'll see what that means in practice, but I expect there will be plenty of false positives and complaints about people's perfectly legitimate videos getting taken down. But, that's what happens when you live in a world where people censor first and ask questions later. Even worse, it appears that some of the new tools will only be available to a special class of Facebook users:
To this end, we have been building new video matching technology that will be available to a subset of creators. This technology is tailored to our platform, and will allow these creators to identify matches of their videos on Facebook across Pages, profiles, groups, and geographies. Our matching tool will evaluate millions of video uploads quickly and accurately, and when matches are surfaced, publishers will be able to report them to us for removal.It's clear why Facebook is doing this, but it seems that following Google down this path is a pretty weak solution, rather than building something better, that doesn't take a "censor first" approach to things.
We will soon begin testing the beta version of this matching technology with a small group of partners, including media companies, multi-channel networks and individual video creators.
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Filed Under: contentid, copyright, infringement, takedowns
Companies: audible magic, facebook
Reader Comments
The First Word
“Seems like a great idea. You go, Facebook.
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Some Creators Are More Equal Than Others
Sorry little guys!
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It will block millions and millions and millions of infringements. But then there will be a handful of blocks that are arguably in error. And Mike will report on these alleged errors, while completely ignoring all of the millions and millions and millions of legitimate blocks.
Right, Mike?
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@ "But then there will be a handful of blocks that are arguably in error."
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Gee, there's a GREAT business opportunity there. After all, there's nothing more the public likes reading about than big corporations crushing Fair Use and/or preventing works from entering the Public Domain, or thin-skinned people using IP to censor others. Everybody loves reading about that sort of thing. And, according to you, you have millions and millions more opportunities to write a story fits that mold. Can't wait to start reading your blog! What's the URL?
At least it would keep you busy enough to prevent you from writing comments here and interrupting the intelligent people.
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There will be a significant percentage that are arguably in error. And there will be a significant percentage that are certainly in error. These will be so common that they'll get nary a mention.
What Mike will report will the utterly ridiculous outliers that a merely incompetent and unreliable ContentID system can't explain. Something with a whole new twist on DMCA abuse and fraud.
It's just that even these are not rare.
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They do however report the statistics and trends. A 200% rise in identity theft or a new method of doing so, is front page material. An individual case of identity theft among many is not. Unless that case has an aspect that sets it apart from the rest.
Which is what Techdirt is doing also. It works.
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'Everything is fine' ISN"T noteworthy, 'Something screwed up' IS
Let's apply that logic elsewhere shall we?
'Most cars don't spontaneously explode, clearly if a handful do pointing this fact out is unwarranted.'
'Most food isn't contaminated, clearly if some of it is pointing this fact out is unwarranted.'
'Most acts of copyright infringement don't cause any notable economic harm, clearly pointing out when some of it does is unwarranted.'
'Most posts blocked by the spam filter are actually spam, clearly pointing out the few that aren't is unwarranted.'
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Re: 'Everything is fine' ISN"T noteworthy, 'Something screwed up' IS
The problem isn't that there are a few bad cops it's that cops that do bad things too often don't get punished. It's the same thing here. Those that file bogus takedowns usually have little to fear because we hardly ever see consequences. A system that doesn't punish those for wrongdoing is one that encourages and hence results in it.
Yet woe onto those that host infringing content or infringe.
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Wow, what an idiot you are.
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I'm going to guess there is no amount.
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I'm sure you are quite fine with a few false positives resulting in devastation for those few unlucky individuals ... at least until it is you being falsely accused. Because that is the end of the world as you know it and justice must be served at all costs! Everything changes when it is YOU.
amirite?
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Sep 1st, 2015 @ 4:01pm
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The one that committed copyright infringment, then claimed it was ,"an innocent mistake"?
...Yeah.
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The issue we're having is the one sided penalty structure that encourages bogus takedowns because service providers and everyone is more afraid of running afoul anti-infringement laws and those filing bogus takedowns usually have little to fear in the way of consequences. This naturally lends itself to many bogus takedowns which is what we are seeing and not just the high profile ones but the many many low profile ones that don't get reported. A system that encourages this kind of behavior is one that results in it. What needs to change is the penalty structure and we need to start seeing real punishment against those that file bogus takedowns, punishments at least equal to and preferably greater than the punishment of infringement. But as long as Hollywood is undemocratically writing the laws we have our current system and so, yes, Techdirt is in the right to complain whenever our system encourages more bad contentID systems with little punishment against those that do take down content fallaciously.
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Killed JustinTV , As a former broadcaster who only played films that were in the public domain I had my ip and MAC blocked at least once a week by the bots .. garbage programs.
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That's what happens when you live in a world where people steal first and deny later.
You, who claim to support copyright, don't in any way or degree support the actual exercise of rights by creators. (Unless it's "Dan Bull" who foolishly gave away content and then still yells when it's taken and monetized by others!)
You're no doubt responsible for some small number of people (a couple dozen, two being greasy blob Kim Dotcom) who've taken the work of others and advertised it as if their own to gain credit and money (up to millions). You're the "intellectual" enabler with fancy degree who excuses theft of content... But even Facebook doesn't agree with your piratey ways! FACEBOOK has a better stance on protecting copyrighted works than you! FACEBOOK!
By the way, Google is ahead on its ContentID only because that implements its thefts; like stripping headlines, a way to grift value from works others have made...
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Re: That's what happens when you live in a world where people steal first and deny later.
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Re: Re: That's what happens when you live in a world where people steal first and deny later.
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Re: Queue the clueless
Report 'em all, I say.
(Yes, that even includes me)
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Re: Re: Queue the clueless
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Re: Re: Queue the clueless
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Seems like a great idea. You go, Facebook.
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Okay, which fool decided to go with Audible 'Magic' instead of simply licensing ContentID? (-_Q)
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FTFY. ;)
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OF course if someone pulls a dodgy copy of the frozen movie from a public page called 'dodgy frozen movie page' then I've no objection.
Its not how far you go, its how go you far...
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And then when challenged reaffirm said take down claiming that a human has reviewed and confirmed that it is infringing?
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HOPE!!!
Facebook is a social network where people love to get together to protest and raise an unrepresented amount of support for their cause, oh...and they love a good cause.
Maybe with the backlash Facebook will see for this , just maybe google will also become very worried and stop censoring blindly.
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BOO!!!
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Seriously, antidirt, if you're going to troll via TOR IP addresses (again, you filthy TOR-using pirate, you), why bother having an account?
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Strawmen are for farms, not comments
Ludicrously inaccurate, harmful to tons of innocent parties, and if it does catch someone actually guilty of the crime in question, it's only purely by luck.
If those trying to 'protect' their 'holy' copyrights showed even the slightest bit of restraint, honesty or accuracy, they wouldn't get mentioned on TD so often. That they show none of the above however means that they do end up being discussed fairly regularly. Got a problem with it, blame them, not TD.
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you actually mean censorship,
and by " debilitating fear"
you actually mean concern,
then yeah.
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This is such a crappy article and without any merit
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Such a superb comment
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Such a superb comment
Quoted for truth, keeping the sarcastic tone intact.
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And when will someone just created a special codec to make garbled videos that can be restored on playback?
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1 billion users? hah! the real money moved on long ago..
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bitch-slapped
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