Hollywood Helps Show Why DMCA Takedowns Are Dangerous, By Taking Down Links To MPAA's Search Engine
from the careful-what-you-wish-for dept
A little over a year ago, the MPAA pulled out all the stops in announcing and promoting its new WhereToWatch.com website, which provides lots of information on where you can watch authorized versions of various movies and TV shows. The idea behind it was certainly a noble one. One of the big arguments made by many concerning accessing unauthorized copies of such content is that there aren't real legal alternatives. So the MPAA figured that if it makes it easier to find such authorized alternatives that would be helpful. And, indeed, that's a good idea.Of course, underlying all of this was that the MPAA hoped to use this site to try to undermine the argument that piracy is about a lack of alternatives. The MPAA basically never misses a chance these days to point to the site as "proof" that Hollywood is meeting consumer needs, and thus claiming that piracy is not about a lack of authorized versions. It seems worth noting that this leaves out that not all authorized versions are convenient (which is another big complaint), including things like restrictive DRM or security-faulty technology. Or they do stupid things (at the demand of Hollywood) like only letting you watch a movie you paid for within a 24-hour time frame. But, let's leave that aside for the moment.
Instead, let's focus on the fact that the MPAA is using this site to push for revisions to the DMCA, such as pushing heavily for a "notice and staydown" provision that means that once they send a DMCA takedown notice, online platforms would be required to make sure such content never shows up again, or face serious liability. This is problematic on any number of levels, including the fact that it increases monitoring, decreases privacy and does nothing to take context into account (the same content may be infringing in some cases, while fair use or authorized in others).
And it totally fails to take into account the vast number of false takedowns. For example, how about false takedowns directed at the MPAA's own WhereToWatch website? Because TorrentFreak is reporting that Hollywood studios have been sending such bogus DMCA takedowns, directed at links to the MPAA's own site, which the MPAA itself has argued is a key part of its "anti-piracy" strategy. The article points to DMCA takedown notices sent for the WhereToWatch links for such Hollywood blockbusters as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2 and The Fault in Our Stars on Google, meaning that when you do a Google search on trying to find those entries on WhereToWatch, you come up empty:
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: anti-piracy, copyright, dmca, takedown and staydown, takedowns, wheretowatch
Companies: mpaa
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
Fair's fair after all, they're the ones calling for such draconian measures, and insisting that there's no problem with them because mistakes are just so very rare and inconsequential, I think it only right that they get to see what it's like being on the receiving end of such treatment.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
The problem still remains: the MPAA uses external companies and tools to issue takedowns and those companies are paid to find "bad links". If these companies cared about whether links are good or bad, they wouldn't issue takedowns to the MPAA's sites in the first place.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
And that would work, until the next new domain goes online and they ("Oopsie!") forget to update Google, and poof, their new domain gets DMCA'd.
How many stories have we seen of $HONKING_BIG_ORG forgetting to renew their domain registration leading to domain squatters snapping it up and selling it to spammers, malware vendors, & etc?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
Never mind that Google isn't the internet, and takedowns aren't for links to content but to the content itself, which isn't controlled by Google.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
They have; 127.0.0.1. At Google, that's where "localhost" points to.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Live by the DMCA notice, get de-listed by the DMCA notice
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
For each show there are "Rent from $_.__" and "Own from $__.__" links. "Own" meaning "Rent until they change DRM standards after a couple years, as happens every time. Play on supported devices only. And even then the show you paid to 'own' may disappear regardless depending on our licencing deals."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Canada here also
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
They probably know that if they offered a search and anyone put in prettymuch any popular movie/show that it would just say "Not Available" so they list all the services that exist instead.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Requires javascript.
After allowing javascript saw commendable effort: random selection has six streaming options, plus option for cable on demand listing. Also has listing (albeit incomplete) for buying DVD/Bluray.
My commendation stopped at the pricing: US$14.99 to own a digital stream, 4.99 to rent a digital stream.
So A for effort, D for execution.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
If watching one of their movies required an in-person visit to a town 500 miles from the nearest major city, in order to get on a waiting list with a mandatory 6-month wait, only to have to travel to another city halfway across the country for a private screening, they would still insist that the process counted as making the movie 'available'.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
The logistics of someone actually using all those sites, with their mixes of pricing, DRM types, subscription/non-subscription, rental/sales, etc. was not something they considered, even if there were an easy, reliable way to search them all. Just being able to say "it was available" was enough, with no care about how someone would access it in the real world if a person was interested in multiple titles.
They yet again mistook a fictional book as a how to guide, only at least this time it was the filing system from Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy instead of their usual 1984/Brazil inspirations. Regardless of reality, the pirates were again able to deliver a better product, as they chased away those willing to pay.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This is not the first time they target their own stuff, by far.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I was redirected to the Canadian site too...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
After DMCA
Next step is DOJ needs to confiscate the domain for five years.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
They can't even keep their own sites from being flagged & delisted incorrectly, yet scream how more needs to be done. Perhaps it is time to make them deal with their own actual problems instead of giving them more superpowers to combat a problem that isn't as bad as they imagine.
We let them have Hollywood accounting, perhaps we need to start forcing them to live in the reality the rest of us are sharing. They are lying to themselves that it is an outside evil force, when it is failure to participate in the market. They fail to meet customer demand, instead trying to impose more control to "protect" the content and punish those who pay them.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
There's more at work here...
Suddenly, you've got a situation where they have "notice and staydown" for each movie release owned by MPAA members -- sometimes before they're even available.
By doing this, they've done an end-run around the legislation, effectively turning it into "This is our list of movies, if we see these show up on your service, you get fined."
Meanwhile, they can keep pushing for more draconian legislation by pointing out the large numbers of people who aren't using wheretowatch.com (because they don't know it exists) but are just pirating the movies.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I would Really like to know...
many sites include Scripts to watch your system, encrypted.
Digital encryption in the videos..
HDCP which is encryption..
Many sites are repositories of encryption and total abuse of it..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: I would Really like to know...
Companies TRYING to setup their own sites, FAILING..because they didnt realize that 1million people hitting your site can BREAK your servers..
Setting up HULU, restricting HULU, changing contracts and requirements every 6 months, confusing the USERS..
Then going BACK to trying to setup Servers AGAIN..
THEN 3rd parties setting up to do the JOB, and PAYWALLS...
Even YOUTUBE has an area to PAY to WATCH movies..
Then comes the idea of Public domain...ANYONE tries to setup a site to show/give/display them...GETS SWATTED..
Unless you have a TON of money, Major backing, a good LAWYER and 5+ years to SPEND in another state defending yourself..ITS NOT WORTH IT..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Then again, the MPAA seems to insist on spending money on failures and then blaming it on piracy. Par for the course.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What could the movie industry gain
WHY it works the way it does?
Lets see...the movie and music industry holds all the cards.
They can Price any part of, Making, distribution, Sales, Theaters, DVD, ALL OF IT..
And it shows in the paperwork.
Its turned itself into a Bunch of front companies..Just to SHOW that prices COST to much, and they dont make any profits.
What could they gain with a NEW distribution system that eliminates 99% of its over head??
They GAIN NOTHING...
They could goto the Net, and create there OWN service, and sell for $1 per view...and make MORE money, and show a profit..
But they DONT want to show a profit. They want to show a LOSS, and claim every cent.
And get rid of about 1000 jobs local, and about 5000 in the system.. not counting actors and the makers..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I disagree with this statement: it seems to me that the public (as consumers) have the greater power as a) money flows from consumer to producer, and b) they have the means to bypass their distribution.
The producer's power lies chiefly with their ability to influence lawmakers and law enforcers.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
1. those on Top want the same wages, if not more..all the time.
2. They dont think like that..If they arnt getting as much money, they raise prices..
3. Same as 2..but, they BLAME others/something ELSE, for their failure, and NOT adjusting prices DOWN..
This isnt as a Family trying to Cut corners, to make ends meet. They want to SHOW they are spending to much to cover the ENDS, and Show a loss..and not pay taxes...Which gives them an excuse. Then they BLAME something else as the problem..They dont want to Change/adjust things, because it WAS WORKING..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
My show isn't available..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]