AfterDawn: News

Music labels now going after Google search results

The BPI, Britain's largest recording industry association, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google demanding the popular search engine take down links that lead to "one-click hosting" sites such as MegaUpload.

The complaint says there are at least 38 links "available via Google’s search engine, and [requests these] links be removed as soon a possible as they directly link to sound recordings owned by [BPI] members."



A few of the songs mentioned as being readily available for unauthorized download via Google are K’Naan’s "Wavin’ Flag," Michael Bublé's "Haven't Met You Yet" and Eminem's "Not Afraid." While Google does not host any of the infringing sites or songs, searches lead users to MegaUpload, SendSpace, Rapidshare and others.

The BPI, in an example, typed "k’naan wavin’ flag download" into Google and the first couple of pages of results showed off free download sites.

Google has often said they are not liable as they only index sites and list them, while not hosting any files.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 22 Jun 2010 14:53

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• 26 comments

• ThePastor

  Now we'll see if these guys have any real power or are just full of it.
  

  Unfortunately for them, all Blu-ray protections have been broken and BD rips can be found around the Internet, usually before the retail even hits shelves.

  22.6.2010 15:34 #1

• Tati7 (unverified)

  Well, If I say "Free Music at MegaUpload". Am I liable for saying that?

  22.6.2010 16:27 #2

• nonoitall

  Heh, well we all knew they'd try this eventually, right? They had the opportunity to adapt with dignity ten years ago, but stunts like this show that they're just an embarrassment to themselves and anyone who has stuck with them this past decade.
  

  22.6.2010 16:54 #3

• hikaricor

  i want a pony!

  22.6.2010 17:08 #4

• emugamer

  They are going down swinging I guess. Nevertheless, they are still going down. Next they will want the letters F-R-E-M-U-S-I-C removed from keyboards.

  22.6.2010 17:52 #5

• bam431

  Originally posted by Tati7: Well, If I say "Free Music at MegaUpload". Am I liable for saying that? You might be in a few years if this keeps up...
  

  This could be anywhere This could be everywhere
  Xbox Live: war dog431 - PSN: bam431 - IGN: bam431
  Youtube: electrowaffle - Twitter: bam431
  My site: Work in progress.

  22.6.2010 17:55 #6

• magnets

  Originally posted by emugamer: They are going down swinging I guess. Nevertheless, they are still going down. Next they will want the letters F-R-E-M-U-S-I-C removed from keyboards. "But Neo, how can you say free music, if you have...no..mouth..."
  
  ;0)

  22.6.2010 19:03 #7

• aldan

  edited by ddp what next? do these people even have the slightest grip on reallity? i guess not. now they actually want to censor information. if this succeeds big brother is finally here, albeit a few years late.

  22.6.2010 19:23 #8

• Josipher

  ill tell you whats next. theyll try and buy every company selling routers and ADSL modems and sell them at a premium and install probe chips on them as a default to track everything you do. and if they cant find proof your downloading music illegaly theyll plant the necessary evidence traffic in your data.

  22.6.2010 22:38 #9

• KillerBug

  1.) They only found 38 sites with pirated music on google? I find 80,000 links by accident every time I search for anything. Most of the actual files are hosted by places like megashare, but most of the links on google go to websites where information/cover art are provided...and the megashare link is from there...to block all of these intermediary websites would mean blocking about a quarter of the internet...and most of the other 3/4 of links are porn.

  22.6.2010 23:01 #10

• VonPepper

  Originally posted by hikaricor: i want a pony! don't we all, friend... don't we all
  

  23.6.2010 03:35 #11

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by hikaricor: i want a pony! MMMMM...sounds tasty.

  23.6.2010 06:11 #12

• domie

  " Google has often said they are not liable as they only index sites and list them, while not hosting any files "
  
  Well that argument was used by countless BT and ed2k sites in the past but it didn't save them - it didn't save the original NewzBin either, they all got shafted in court so why should Google be any different ? Oh wait , silly me, Google has billions of dollars and can afford smart lawyers.

  23.6.2010 06:51 #13

• KillerBug

  Being able to afford any lawyers at all puts them ahead of most of the cases.

  23.6.2010 07:54 #14

• plazma247

  i want two ponies
  
  Two Ponies

  23.6.2010 08:34 #15

• Unlockneo

  my favorite search engine:
  
  http://www.shareseeking.com/
  http://megadownload.net/
  http://www.hotfile123.com/
  http://www.filestube.com/
  http://filespump.com/

  23.6.2010 09:25 #16

• ZippyDSM

  Mmmmm no no no assumes to much.... and establishs rules to create thought police. Instead focus on whos trying to make money off the IP in question and grind them int the ground for trying to do it illicitly.
  
  
  But with that said can you make links to a file from a place not exempted illegal? What I am getting it a site that makes money off adds,ect that eventually links to infringing material sites like google get a pass as thats not the focus of their search system and some EDU sites can be exempted but if they are not exempted by the IP X,Y,Z panel they either have to fall under fair use or not make a dime off any kind of unlicensed copyright item trade.
  
  
  This is what we need to focus our efforts on not sweeping the public under the rug....
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  23.6.2010 14:57 #17

• Menion

  so they want to scensor search results?, did these idiots not just see what happened in china? good luck bpi..

  23.6.2010 16:23 #18

• xnonsuchx

  Sorry, no DIRECT LINKS on Google's results...you still have to click a download button (and maybe enter a CAPTCHA response).

  23.6.2010 18:28 #19

• Josipher

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Sorry, no DIRECT LINKS on Google's results...you still have to click a download button (and maybe enter a CAPTCHA response). I hate those. whenever i see a link for music with a captcha thingy i just go to the next link on google :)
  
  Originally posted by Unlockneo: my favorite search engine:
  
  http://www.shareseeking.com/
  http://megadownload.net/
  http://www.hotfile123.com/
  http://www.filestube.com/
  http://filespump.com/ you forgot pornotube (no link for obvious reasons :P )

  23.6.2010 19:21 #20

• KillerBug

  Anyone else starting to think that this has nothing to do with piracy? They are closing the channels of free speech every time they do something to "curtail piracy"...in the process, they create more piracy...the only reason they would keep doing this is if their goal was just to destroy free, anonymous communications. It probably won't be long before they outlaw VPNs.

  24.6.2010 05:31 #21

• Howie696

  ...The thin end of the wedge. On the back of the DEB, the UK is now hurtling down the censor all freedom of information highway under the banner of 'copyright infringement'. Orwell was chillingly right, just a few years too early.

  24.6.2010 18:06 #22

• g_slide

  THIS IS SO LAME... SO ARE WE NOW GOING TO GO AFTER THE GUN MAKERS WHO MAKES THESE GUNS OR GO AFTER THE GUY WHO SHOT LITTLE JIMMY IN THE DRIVE-BY.

  24.6.2010 19:48 #23

• bernzc

  I guess having seminars on how and who should be...would help.
  

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  25.6.2010 05:20 #24

• Jemborg

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Sorry, no DIRECT LINKS on Google's results...you still have to click a download button (and maybe enter a CAPTCHA response). Good point.
  
  They are essentially afraid of the public notification of these sites and the fact they have to pay Google to get their "pay for it" sites listed at the top of the search.
  
  But why hassle Google? Surely lobbing the gov for regulation is more productive?
  

  Its a lot easier being righteous than right.
  
  
  

  28.6.2010 14:29 #25

• alpurl

  Originally posted by g_slide: THIS IS SO LAME... SO ARE WE NOW GOING TO GO AFTER THE GUN MAKERS WHO MAKES THESE GUNS OR GO AFTER THE GUY WHO SHOT LITTLE JIMMY IN THE DRIVE-BY.
  They did that years ago to Colt, maker of the original 1911 .45 ACP pistol. As a result, it's just about impossible to get anything with the Colt name on it.
  
  Stories like this are part of why new, up and coming musicians are turning to youtube and self producing their own music. With apples original embedded drm, this is why I use Amazon for my digital downloads. That is also why cd sales started going back up slightly. Why pay three dollars a song to only be able to use on a couple of devices when you can by the cd for fifteen, rip it, and play all you want?

  28.6.2010 15:46 #26