Automated 'Content Protection' System Sends Wave Of Bogus DMCA Notice Targeting Legitimate URLs

from the don't-worry,-humans.-the-bots-won't-ever-do-this-job-well. dept

Yet another content protection service decides it's better off letting the machines do the work, with predictably catastrophic results. The EFF first noticed the DMCA abuse being committed by "Topple Track," a content protection service offered by Symphonic Distribution. Symphonic talks big about its protection service, pointing out its position as one of the "leading members" of Google's "Trusted Copyright Program."

The thing about trust is that it's hard to gain but easy to lose.

Topple Track's failures came to the EFF's attention because it targeted one of its URLs, supposedly for infringing on artist Luc Sky's copyright for his song "My New Boy." The page targeted by Topple Track discusses the EMI lawsuit against MP3Tunes -- one that has been on the EFF's site for eight years. If Luc Sky even exists (the EFF could find no info on the artist/track), the discussion of a long-running legal battle certainly didn't contain an unauthorized copy of this track.

Presumably Topple Track has customers. (The "Luc Sky" dead end isn't promising.) If so, they're being ripped off by DMCA notices sent in their names that target tons of legit sites containing zero infringing content. The URLs targeted have no relation to the name/title listed as protected content and it's impossible to see how an algorithm could do the job this badly. There's obviously no human interaction with the DMCA process Topple Track employs, otherwise none of the DMCA notices listed would even have been sent to Google.

What did we say about trust?

Google has confirmed that it has removed Topple Track from its Trusted Copyright Removal Program membership due to a pattern of problematic notices.

Symphonic has commented on the debacle, claiming "bugs in the system" resulted in the wave of bogus takedown notices. Possibly true, but all it would have taken was a little human interaction to prevent this abuse of the process and this PR black eye.

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Filed Under: automated, censorship, dmca, takedowns

Companies: symphonic distribution