Bad news for pirates sailing the seven seas of the web: from next week, Google will punish sites that host pirated music, movies and TV shows.
The search giant will downrank sites hit by valid copyright claims, it announced in a blog post. Its new algorithm will take into account the number of valid copyright notices a site has received and shunt the worst offenders down the rankings. Whether this is a genuine attempt to curb the pirates, or just to appease the studios threatening to sue Google, depends on your point of view.
Google says the new algorithm will help promote legal sources of fun like Spotify.
The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) issued a statement following the Google announcement. Michael O'Leary, the MPAA's senior executive vice president for global policy and external affairs, said in the statement: "We are optimistic that Google's actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online, and away from the rogue cyberlockers, peer-to-peer sites, and other outlaw enterprises that steal the hard work of creators from across the globe.
"We will be watching this development closely -- the devil is always in the details -- and look forward to Google taking further steps to ensure that its services favour legitimate businesses and creators, not thieves."
Google is keen to point out that it's not policing the web itself, and won't remove any web pages unless it receives a valid copyright removal notice from the rights owner. "Only copyright holders know if something is authorised," it said, "and only courts can decide if a copyright has been infringed; Google cannot determine whether a particular webpage does or does not violate copyright law."
So is it a genuine attempt to capsize the pirates? Or is Google just covering its own back? Let me know what you reckon in the comments or on Facebook.
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Comments 28
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damien2501 11 August, 2012 11:49
Too right. Well done Google. Piracy should be called plain stealing like if the digital item was bought from a shop on a disc. There is no real difference.Loads of people will come on here whinging and justifying to make themselves feel better just be man enough to admit, you steal. Piracy goes unpunished most of the time.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 12:22
Damien.. Thank you for showing me that ignorance on the internet is alive and well. You must feel very happy that your such a good little person. You keep your brainwashed rhetoric, I'll keep my freedom of choice.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 12:24
Have you never watched copyright material on youtube Damien2501?
No = Liar
Yes = Hypocrite
anonymous 11 August, 2012 12:42
not too long ago the music industry considered mp3 files not music (that was untill they thought there was a quid or 2 for them to make) oh how they change their minds in the name of profit. as for piracy and copyright well you are all guilty as soon as you boot up your browser of copyright theft. IDIOTS
anonymous 11 August, 2012 12:48
Its not theft if i would never have bought it in the first place, and i would never buy a cd or dvd as they are overpriced a disc costs fractions of a penny yet they charge mega amounts for them. you keep your wares and i will continue to do what i do buy nothing as they are not worth paying for when you selll your music or films for under 10 pence i may consider buying then. until then i will sail the seven seas.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 12:51
oh and 2 other things boycottworkfare.org and vote YES for scotland independance 2014
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:11
Like Youtube?
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:12
Has anyone told Google etc that sites such as TPB DON'T host anything =D
damien2501 11 August, 2012 13:19
It is theft if u never would have bought it in the first place, I'd never buy a £1000 pc does that mean I can legally steal one. Messed up logic, I'd have more respect if u said "I know it's theft but I like free stuff" because that is it really. As for YouTube I rarely watch it tbh but just cos one thing might be stealing doesn't mean it's a free for all across the board to steal what u like.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:24
Just ditch Google all together..they have manipulated search results long ago before this.. Use https://privatelee.qrobe.it instead
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:35
do google get permission from websites to indexd their content? surely thats copyright theft in itself
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:48
@damien
Theft is defined as depriving the owner of the original item.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:50
In my opinion, piracy is sharing. Just like me buying a cd and lending it to a friend for example. Yeah sure he gets to keep it but what's the difference.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 13:57
this from a company you hacked into your home via wifi using street view car
billfred 11 August, 2012 14:30
So many stupid comments. I think I'll pass.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 14:37
Damian2501 said:
"As for YouTube I rarely watch it tbh but just cos one thing might be stealing doesn't mean it's a free for all across the board to steal what u like"
No one said it means a free-for-all but it does mean you are also a thief by your own definition and have no right to judge others
damien2501 11 August, 2012 16:21
I'm not judging others, the courts of this country are
anonymous 11 August, 2012 19:24
The courts of this country are not in this thread calling people thieves ..YOU ARE!!!!
lets remind ourselves exactly what you said again:
damien2501 said:
"Well done Google. Piracy should be called plain stealing like if the digital item was bought from a shop on a disc. There is no real difference.Loads of people will come on here whinging and justifying to make themselves feel better just be man enough to admit, you steal. Piracy goes unpunished most of the time."
anonymous 11 August, 2012 20:26
damien blah blah blah....bloody hypocrite. Shut up and wallow in your ignorant bliss
damien2501 11 August, 2012 23:07
If piracy is ok why is it illegal then? Your all just trying to justify it cos you like free stuff and pointing the finger at me. Some people have been fined huge amounts for piracy. Youtube isnt illegal so im not a hypocrite. Grow up people and have some morals
anonymous 12 August, 2012 01:35
@damien
Are you suggesting that just because something is the law makes it correct?
Sam Cleggett 12 August, 2012 12:25
I find it funny that Google are doing this when YouTube absolutely HAS to have the highest amount of copyright claims against it, but its owned by Google, so how much do you want to bet YouTube links will stay at the top??
anonymous 12 August, 2012 13:30
"If piracy is ok why is it illegal then?" Oh deary me Damien. What a sad state of affairs when an individual is so content with his lot in life that he makes this comment. If everyone had led their lives by your moral code then history would be void of may of the great revolutionaries, visionaries, or simple souls who don't accept that a wealthy few can decide when the rest of us take a s**t. Wake up man. You go pay for your cds or mp3s if it makes it easier for you to sleep at night, but some of us are taking the opportunity to get something for free in life. Something that makes us happy and something which keeps a lot of music alive when in the your world of over the counter record shops would have been out of print a long time ago.
damien2501 12 August, 2012 16:26
I agree some revolutions have been for the good, for a noble cause. What good has the piracy revolution achieved? it affects the quality of movies and music, only recently the new james bond movie was nearly dropped because of money problems. So you go and steal as much as you can until the only things to steal are rubbish small productions that no one wants to see anyway. People who disregard law are the same people who thought the London riots were fun and a free for all. Morals out of the window for what we want to do. Your right, it is a sad state of affairs
damien2501 12 August, 2012 16:32
I agree with 2 things "If everyone had led their lives by your moral code then history would be void of may of the great revolutionaries" but only when its for a noble cause. How has the piracy revolution helped anything? Just recently the latest bond movie nearly got dropped because of money problems, i wonder how much was lost due to piracy. So steal and steal until the only thing left is rubbish low budget amateur productions that no one wants anyway. second "What a sad state of affairs" it is when people break the law for selfish reasons not noble causes. People with this same attitude smashed stuff up and stole when the London riots broke out for "fun" People are selfish, thats the problem.
anonymous 12 August, 2012 17:17
Ok fair enough, with reference to the piracy debate in particular, i imagine it can be damaging to the film industry in some regards. But I live with myself 1: in the knowledge that generally those associated with the films have more money than I ever will just because of the industry they happen to be in. 2: more often than not I download movies that I wouldn't have bought if piracy was not possible and after seeing films by a certain director or starring particular actors, I will then seek them out in other films and go and see them at the cinema or buy their dvds. This is a personal choice and one I really don't put in the same bracket as shoplifting or theft as then the products are physical things which cost money to get onto the shelf. There is an endless supply of films when copied and in my case the alternative to not downloading them, is simply me not seeing them at all.
Going back to my previous comment. I had to disagree as your comment "If piracy is ok why is it illegal then?" because it is quite a sweeping notion and my point was that, again on a personal level, I don't want to live my life completely by the book. You seemed to suggest that the law is totally final for you and regardless of whether you are a visionary genius or someone that simply doesn't want to consider what the government wants you to do before you do it, the law cannot be the final word. Just because things are illegal, doesn't mean they are not ok.
I take your point though. I guess it's just down to personal choice and how happy we are to live with our choices. I never copy or supply films for downloading. I'm a leech. Again....a personal choice and i'm happy with it.
anonymous 12 August, 2012 20:41
Damien you don't do yourself a lot of favours by referring to something which by definition isn't stealing as stealing.
Anyone can make wild claims that someone has indirectly cost them financially.
damien2501 13 August, 2012 10:21
Im not trying to "do myself any favours" if i was id just go along with the popular view. Im just voicing what i believe