Glass-Tongued Copyright Troll Thinks Google, Popehat, and Boing Boing Are Engaged In 'Black Hat Seo'

from the what-a-maroon dept

Fri, Apr 20th 2018 10:43am — Tim Cushing

After taking a hiatus from issuing bogus DMCA takedowns against this site, self-proclaimed poet "Shaun Shane" is back at it. The harassment of anyone who dares to publish a certain poem of Shane's -- the one about tongues made of glass -- is a (possibly) Texas-based cottage industry. The harassment continues to this day, but not much of it is directed at Google. Most of Shane's "work" is done over at Twitter, where tweets are greeted with takedown requests.

Presumably, this had led to an immeasurable increase in books sales for Shane. I mean, an unauthorized tweet = 1 lost sale, if I'm not mistaken. Whatever the case is, Shane is back to abusing the DMCA process for something that neither looks like fun nor for profit. Shane has issued several bogus takedown requests over the past couple of months.

Some are normal takedown requests targeting any place that has reproduced his poem. These are fine, but only by comparison. In other requests, targeting TorrentFreak, Boing Boing, Popehat, and Techdirt, some very interesting theories are being advanced. (But not respected. No one is being delisted for the imaginary crimes against IP that Shane has pitched to Google.)

This notice argues contributory infringement, claiming the posting of the poem in full somehow "encourages criminal infringement." That's as sane as the notices get. From there, all bets are off.

This one, targeting a Techdirt URL, attempts to fashion a defamation claim out of thin air (and all without once using the word "defamation").

The reported Url violates Title 28 U.S. Code § 4101 by making the false statement that I do not know the Director John Waters . I have know and been with friends with him since 1984. I was formal film student of his from 1985-86. I acted in the film "Reckless Eyeballs" directed by him. To prove these facts I will provide you with the phone number and email John Waters so you may verify these facts from him directly.

"Reckless Eyeballs" is mentioned on John Waters' Wikipedia page. But there are no links supporting it and it has "this film featured the poet Shaun Shane as the lead" appended to it for no apparent reason. Oh, wait. There's a very apparent reason. The IP address that added the edit traces back to Pearland, Texas, one of "Shaun Shane's" stomping grounds. So, make of that what you will. (And chances are you will make "Shaun Shane did not appear in a John Waters short" of it.)

Another notice, sent April 15, attempts to fashion a conspiracy theory out of Google juice.

I am the Author Shaun Shane, someone is using Bots to artificially raise the reported Url's ranking in Google search results beyond what Google's search algorithm has naturally assigned it and are engaging in "black Seo".

Apparently Shane realized there's no such thing as "black Seo" as the DMCA notices sent the following day attempt to amend that error.

I am the Author Shaun Shane. Someone is using Bots for the reported Url to artificially raise it's rank in Google search results and beyond what Googles search algorithm would naturally assign it and is engaging in Black Hat Seo.

This is better but still stupid. At least we have "Black Hat Seo" instead of "black Seo" to work with, but there's nothing artificial about these search engine rankings. The sites targeted by these notices are all high-ranking sites: Boing Boing, Popehat, Techdirt and… um… I guess, Twitter. (A Popehat tweet is also targeted.)

Welcome back, Shaun. The world is a little duller without you around. We await your newest conspiracy theory about SEO black magic and defamation that dare not speak its name. Meanwhile, we've been given another "anomaly" to file away with the hundreds of others in the annals of DMCA abuse.

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.

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Filed Under: black hat seo, copyright, copyright troll, dmca, poetry, shaun shane, takedowns
Companies: boing boing, google, popehat, techdirt

33 Comments

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hij (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 9:57am

Rick Santorum Called
If this guy is really that interested in learning about black hat SEO he needs to google Santorum. One day he is going to push someone who really does understand about black hat SEO, and our vocabulary will be all the richer for it.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 10:50am

Black Hat Seo is the name of my new Nerdcore Kpop fushion band.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 10:58am

He sends lots of notices for being dead.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:02am

28 USC § 4101

The reported Url violates Title 28 U.S. Code § 4101…

28 USC § 4101 et seq (Chapter 181)

Pub. Law 111-223, entitled “Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act” or the ”SPEECH Act”

SEC. 3. RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN DEFAMATION JUDGMENTS.

(a) In General.--Part VI of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``CHAPTER 181--FOREIGN JUDGMENTS

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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:10am

Bad Wikipedia link
The change that's claimed to have "added the edit" didn't; it simply edited the... edit. It removed a link but the "before" and "after" both list the name, both with "citation needed" (of course it was an unreleased film—the only unreleased film listed).
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:27am

Re: Bad Wikipedia link

The change that's claimed to have "added the edit" didn't; it simply edited the... edit.

Probably should have linke to the diff two revisions back, showing edit by 98.196.111.180 (04:13, 28 Dec 2013).

( Intermediate revision diff. )
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:32am

Yet another reason to abolish copyright.
It breeds this kind of stuff.
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I.T. Guy, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:33am

His douchery can be found here:
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/girls-are-dumb/

Someone should DMCA that haircut. It needs to go.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:40am

Re: Re: Bad Wikipedia link
No, both versions still have the guy's name there. Here you go; added by Annemurphy1711. The same account had earlier added the (alleged) film "Reckless Eyeballs" to the list, and has never made any other edits.
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Roger Strong (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:42am

Re: Rick Santorum Called
This guy doesn't care about his reputation. What he's desperate for is attention and relevance. Before trying to trash him via SEO, remember the old saying:
"If only our tongues were made of glass. How much more careful we would be when we speak."
- John F. Kennedy
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:48am

Re: Re: Re: Bad Wikipedia link

. Here you go; added by Annemurphy1711.

Thanks.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 11:53am

Re: Yet another reason to abolish copyright.
Not a reason to abolish it, just to make infringers "innocent until proven guilty" -- which the DMCA does not.
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Thad, 20 Apr 2018 @ 12:05pm

It doesn't even make sense.

"If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful would we be when we speak?"

What does that mean?

He seems to be suggesting that if our tongues were made of glass, they would be at a strong risk of breaking.

Why would that be the case? Would they not, presumably, still be fixed in our mouths in some way? It's not like they'd fall out and shatter on the ground.

I suppose I'd speak more carefully with a glass tongue because it would make certain sounds really hard to make. My name would be unpronounceable, for example.
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Ehud Gavron (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 12:40pm

If only...
I bought his book, downvoted him on Amazon, and beat his claiming I wasn't a legitimate voter.

If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful would we be kissing asses.

E
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 1:08pm

Re: If only...
I hope you asked for a full refund as well. Amazon tracks those and if you get too many...
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firebird2110 (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 2:08pm

Hang on, "If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak." Is that a bit from a poem or is it in fact the entire thing? If that is it, I would contend that it isn't a poem at all. It's just one of those BS strings of words you find on 'motivational' posters which try to sound profound but when you stop to think about them are nonsense.
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firebird2110 (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 2:12pm

Re:
He doesn't want comments on his 'poem'? Gosh I wonder why, could it be becuase it's crap?
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 3:03pm

Re: Re: Rick Santorum Called
- Michael Scott
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Mononymous Tim (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 3:34pm

Re:
I was thinking it might be because glass cuts. But then again, I'm not exactly expecting it to make sense anyway considering the source. Or maybe something like the whole glass houses thing... Who knows!
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 3:55pm

Re:

It's just one of those BS strings of words you find on 'motivational' posters which try to sound profound but when you stop to think about them are nonsense.

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason." (Jack Handey)
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Thad, 20 Apr 2018 @ 4:14pm

Re: Re:
Those are even more baffling.

If it's "glass cuts" -- what? Are people being more careful to speak so they don't cut their mouths?

Or is he talking about using your tongue to cut somebody else? Because if your tongue makes contact with another person, the thing you are doing is not speaking.

"Glass houses" makes the least sense of all. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" means that you shouldn't be quick to judge other people when you've got your own problems; I don't see how glass tongues have anything to do with it. (I would not recommend throwing stones at your tongue, even if it is not made of glass.)
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 20 Apr 2018 @ 4:52pm

Re: Bad Wikipedia link
In my defense, I had a fuckload of tabs open prepping this post.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2018 @ 6:19pm

Re: Re: Re:
Glass-tongued folk oughtn't spit stones.

Swallowing sharp splinters upsets stomachs severely.

Burma-Shave.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2018 @ 6:32am

Tim Cushing is Shaun Shane
The whole thing is a performance art piece. The poem, all the fake twitter accounts, the legal threats, the DMCA notices, and the reporting. It's all too goofy to be real. Tim Cushing is Shaun Shane
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wshuff (profile), 21 Apr 2018 @ 7:47am

Monica’s revenge song works for this poet:

Mister Pretensous, you think there’s no one finer, well but your poems are unpublished, and you work in a diner. You’re no God’s gift to women, that’s all in your headdddd. You are just a buttmunch. No one likes a buttmunch.
And you’re also bad in bedd-edd-edd!.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2018 @ 10:28am

Re: Re:

I was thinking it might be because glass cuts.

Only if sharp, which a tongue wouldn't be. A glass tongue would, however, be quite hard on the teeth. Maybe that's the point?

Or maybe something like the whole glass houses thing

...which is an aphorism that nobody's ever confused for a "poem".
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2018 @ 10:45am

Re: Re: Re:

I was thinking it might be because glass cuts.

Only if sharp, which a tongue wouldn't be.

Sharp-tongued slash out cutting remarks.
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Gary (profile), 21 Apr 2018 @ 7:19pm

My tongue is made of glass
My glass tongue is really causing some serious dental issues.

Quoting this poem is now open via fair use and creative commons. Enjoy!
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John85851 (profile), 22 Apr 2018 @ 8:46am

Re:
And hw do we pronounce the name of your band? Is it "Black Hat See-oh" or "Black Hat Ess Eee Oh"? :)
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2018 @ 10:09am

Re: Re:

Is it "Black Hat See-oh" or "Black Hat Ess Eee Oh"?

That's easy as pie. Oh — rhymes with E - I - E - I - O.

”Nerdcore Kpop fushion.”
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Apr 2018 @ 5:48am

I think his poem is trite and derivative
"If my heart was made of glass surely you would see -
the heartache and misery you been causing me " - just a test to see if Robby Robertson is as big an ass as this Shaun Shane.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Apr 2018 @ 11:18am

A man who claims to be a poet
No one else seems to know it
His tongue is made of glass
His head is up his
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James Watkins, 6 Feb 2019 @ 12:42am

So much fuss over this poem. Everyone at my work https://www.stepchange.agency talks about it. But I'm not sure these are the best topics to talk about. By the way, I really do not understand from his poems
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