Image from Clearnightsky.com
Sean Michaels
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 11 February 2010 12.27 GMT
In what critics are calling "musicblogocide 2010", Google has deleted at least six popular music blogs that it claims violated copyright law. These sites, hosted by Google's Blogger and Blogspot services, received notices only after their sites – and years of archives – were wiped from the internet.
"We'd like to inform you that we've received another complaint regarding your blog," begins the cheerful letter received by each of the owners of Pop Tarts, Masala, I Rock Cleveland, To Die By Your Side, It's a Rap and Living Ears. All of these are music-blogs – sites that write about music and post MP3s of what they are discussing. "Upon review of your account, we've noted that your blog has repeatedly violated Blogger's Terms of Service ... [and] we've been forced to remove your blog. Thank you for your understanding."
Jolly as Google may be, none of the bloggers who received these notices are "understanding" in the least. Read Full Story Here...
3 comments:
While this is deeply troubling, that Google/Blogspot would use such unnecessarily Draconian tactics(potentially based out of laziness), I suppose I would just like to get it out there that we typically work with artists and labels directly to bring you their music, or we find where the aforementioned have posted their music or videos publicly and link to that. I'd also like to remind the world at large that any exceptions to that principle would happen to fall under what is typically considered 'fair use.' That might even include my unauthorized Grouper remix, which would fall smack dab in a little category we call parody.
Now, of course, if you read the full article or dig into the issue even slightly, it becomes obvious that that is no barrier to DMCA actions or Google shutdowns. Even artists' official blogs have been on the receiving end of this nonsense! As someone who knows once told me, it's a very common first mistake to impute logic or competency on the action of a government agency.
So what now? Everyone's thoughts? Don't be afraid, the big bad boogeyman can't do anything to you in the middle of a comm-
^%$^%$&^%$&^%$
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This article removed my articulateness. GRRR. GOOGLE MEAN. AMBER SMASH.
There's an update from Blogger detailing their policies and procedures. Evidently one of the folks had their site restored. This still sets a very bad tone throughout the community.
http://buzz.blogger.com/2010/02/quick-note-about-music-blog-removals.html
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