Tag Archives: SOPA

Google Sees Spike in Copyright Removal Requests

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Google recently announced new figures regarding the number of takedown notices it receives under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The search giant also announced that interested parties can now download all the data shown for copyright removals in a new “Transparency Report.”

According to Google, when it launched the copyright removals feature, it received more than 250,000 requests per week.  That number  spiked in just six months to more than 2.5 million requests per week.

Google also reports that although it is receiving more requests, it is still able to process them, on average, within approximately six hours. Overall, Google has removed 97.5 percent of all Web links included in copyright removal requests.

Google has staunchly opposed legislative efforts to combat online piracy, such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The latest reports seems to be an effort to show that it is up to the task of policing its own search results.

“We’ll continue to fine tune our removals process to fight online piracy while providing information that gives everyone a better picture of how it works,” Fred Von Lohmann, Legal Director at Google, stated in a related blog post. “By making our copyright data available in detail, we hope policymakers will be able to see whether or not laws are serving their intended purpose and being enforced in the public interest.”

How Can I Help?

For more information about how to protect your copyrighted material, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation at nvantreeck@usip.com or call TOLL FREE at 1-855-UR IDEAS (1-855-874-3327) and ask for Norman.

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman

CISPA ‘dead’, all hail big brother.

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This isn’t an astronomy blog.  I normally try to keep out of politics, but this issue seems to have united Democrats, Independents, Libertarians and Republicans (in alphabetical order).

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) died a death of procedural motions today in the Senate.  I personally was not unhappy to see it go.  However, there are newer better plans in the works so that the government can pass along all your electronic communications to whomever they like.  Without your permission, of course.

CISPA would have allowed the sharing of Internet traffic information between the U.S. government and technology and manufacturing companies. The stated aim of the bill was to help the U.S government investigate cyber threats and ensure the security of networks against cyberattacks.

Don’t worry about that pesky 4th Amendment.  CISPA would have allowed private sector firms to search personal and sensitive user data of ordinary U.S. residents to identify “threat information,” which would then be shared with other opt-in firms and the U.S. government — without the need for a court-ordered warrant.

You however, would not be able to opt-out.

In case you did not take Constitutional law, the Fourth Amendment states:

More good news, CISPA would have also amended the National Security Act to allow U.S. intelligence services to hand over classified information to entities and people that do not have security clearance.
Mike Kristi Rogers
It seems that the bills sponsor Michigan Republican Mike Rogers had a lot to gain from the passage of this bill.  His wife, Kristi Clemens Rogers, was, until recently, the president and CEO of Aegis LLC a “security” defense contractor company, whom she helped to secure a $10 billion (with a b) contract with the State Department.  The company describes itself as “a leading private security company, provides government and corporate clients with a full spectrum of intelligence-led, culturally-sensitive security solutions to operational and development challenges around the world.”
Perhaps Rep. Rogers has figured out how much your privacy is worth, to him at least.
Despite Rep. Rogers insistence that that the only opposition to CISPA came from 14-year-old kids in their basement, I am not a 14 year child.  I am a concerned citizen of this country and a Veteran.  I did not serve my country to see A**holes like this sell freedom to the highest bidder (in this case, his wife).
I will now resume my regular, non-political ramblings about other important stuff.  Like, why haven’t we colonized space yet?  (Shout out to Republic of Lagrangia)

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities.  Connect with me on Google +

Norman