Youtube bends for Scientology

[w1z4rd]

Over a period of twelve hours, between this Thursday night and Friday morning, American Rights Counsel LLC sent out over 4000 DMCA takedown notices to YouTube, all making copyright infringement claims against videos with content critical of the Church of Scientology. Clips included footage of Australian and German news reports about Scientology, A Message to Anonymous/Scientology , and footage from a Clearwater City Commission meeting. Many accounts were suspended by YouTube in response to multiple allegations of copyright infringement.

YouTube users responded with DMCA counter-notices. At this time, many of the suspended channels have been reinstated and many of the videos are back up. Whether or not American Rights Counsel, LLC represents the notoriously litigious Church of Scientology is unclear, but this would not be the first time that the Church of Scientology has used the DMCA to silence Scientology critics. The Church of Scientology DMCA complaints shut down the YouTube channel of critic Mark Bunker in June, 2008. Bunker’s account, XenuTV, was also among the channels shut down in this latest flurry of takedown notices.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/09/massive-takedown-anti-scientology-videos-youtube

I just lost every little bit of respect for Youtube and as of today, will not be supporting them as much until they get their act together.

This is NOT a matter of just copyright.. if anyone follows XenuTV on Youtube, you will know that most of Marks stuff is original. He has made many of his own documentaries with his own footage. Normally showing the freaky Scientology stalkers that follow him everywhere.

This is a massive breach of free speech, and everyone should be worried, because it looks like Scientology now has the authority to tell you what they want you to watch.

Absolutely disgusting :sick:

 

[Asguard]

before you critise you tube how does it work?
what i mean is, are the videos suspended as soon as a report is put in pending an investigation by the workers because if thats the case i wouldnt blame You tube

 

[w1z4rd]

Its not all Google, but their current way of operating allows for this kinda abuse.

The Scientologists filed DMCA takedown notices so Google complied and took the contested videos down. The owners of some of the videos then filed counter-claims and Google complied and put them back up.

This was all done inline with the laws as set out by the DMCA. It is not Google's responsibility to determine the validity of the DMCA takedown notices.

So anyone can just fill in a form and get any content taken offline (sure it might be restored.. if the user is aware of it).. so basically. I can use a pseudo name.. or make an association that can be disolved if it is litigated against... and just remove all Youtube videos I wish.

Of course 70% of them would most likely be returned with people willing to put in the effort to get their content online.. but in the mean time.. I was able to knock off 30% of the critics.

 

[Asguard]

in that case i think you need to blame the courts because wasnt this the terms google HAD to agree with to stop universal's (or which ever it was) lawsuit against them?

if this is a problem then it needs to be re-examined by the courts to get a better solution (for instance locked acounts that the studios alone have, or whatever)