Google Starts Punishing “Pirate” Sites In Search Results - Polidicks

[quote=TorrentFreak] Google announced today that it will lower the search engine rankings of websites that receive a high number of DMCA takedown requests, independent of whether the linked content is lawful or not. The algorithm change is the result of extensive lobbying efforts by Hollywood and the major music labels, and could severely degrade the rankings of websites such as The Pirate Bay, FilesTube, and even YouTube. For years entertainment industry groups [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/riaa-wants-search-engines-to-censor-pirate-sites-120606/"]have lobbied search engines[/URL]to penalize sites that link to a high number of copyrighted files, and today Google has given in to their demands. The search engine will soon take into consideration the number of DMCA takedown notices it receives against sites to determine the ranking of those websites in its search results. “Starting next week, we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site. Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results,” Google’s Amit Singhal writes in a [URL="http://insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-update-to-our-search-algorithms.html"]blog post[/URL]. Earlier this year Google decided to [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/google-builds-largest-database-of-links-to-pirated-media-120717/"]publish all[/URL] takedown requests online as part of their transparency report, and they will now use this data as part of their search algorithm. This means that websites for which Google receives a high number of valid takedown requests will be penalized. The [URL="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/domains/?r=last-year"]top receivers[/URL] of these notices over the past year were filestube.com, extratorrent.com, torrenthound.com, bitsnoop.com and isohunt.com. They can expect to appear lower in future search results and will therefore receive less traffic through Google searches. Whether Google will downgrade YouTube, where (tens of) thousands of videos are routinely disabled because of [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/youtubes-content-id-piracy-filter-wreaks-havoc-110908/"]alleged infringements[/URL], is unknown at this point. Google stresses that it doesn’t know whether content is authorized or not, so removal of pages from its search results will only take place following a valid DMCA takedown notice. “Only copyright holders know if something is authorized, and only courts can decide if a copyright has been infringed; Google cannot determine whether a particular webpage does or does not violate copyright law,” Singhal writes. “So while this new signal will influence the ranking of some search results, we won’t be removing any pages from search results unless we receive a valid copyright removal notice from the rights owner.” One of the main problems with Google’s new ranking is that perfectly legitimate content on sites with a high number of takedown requests will be degraded as well. Taking YouTube as an example, millions of relevant and legal search results will be degraded simply because there are a high number of “unauthorized” videos posted to the site. Adding the high number of [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/copyright-holders-punish-themselves-with-crazy-dmca-takedowns-120525/"]bogus DMCA notices[/URL] which Google sees as valid, many sites may also be punished for the faulty takedown requests that copyright holders send. That’s worrying to say the least. For Hollywood and the major music labels Google’s announcement is a clear win. In fact, it was one of the three demands they handed out to Google, Bing and Yahoo last year during a [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/copyright-industry-calls-for-broad-search-engine-censorship-120127/"]behind-closed-doors meeting[/URL]. The other two demands were “prioritize websites that obtain certification as a licensed site under a recognized scheme” and “stop indexing websites that are subject to court orders while establishing suitable procedures to de-index substantially infringing sites.” Whether Google will also adopt these suggestions remains to be seen. [/quote] [URL="http://torrentfreak.com/google-starts-punishing-pirate-sites-in-search-results-120810/"] http://torrentfreak.com/google-starts-punishing-pirate-sites-in-search-results-120810/[/URL]

what if youtube was taken down for copyright bullshit. oh the irony

What are you doing google

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;37180899]what if youtube was taken down for copyright bullshit. oh the irony[/QUOTE] But Google owns Youtube That would DEFINE bullet to the dick.

The point of being a search engine is for people to search something and find it quickly. The idea is that it finds things for you. By making it purposely find things slower and making it harder for you to find what you are searching you are just ruining your own search engine. That basically takes the point out of a search engine.

I wonder what they think a 'pirate site' is? If they punish any torrent site, I'm a bit annoyed right about now

And their system will take down everything, except sites that host pirated content

[QUOTE=FlubberNugget;37180944]I wonder what they think a 'pirate site' is? If they punish any torrent site, I'm a bit annoyed right about now[/QUOTE] It's sites that have a lot of DMCA takedown notices.

They don't really say how much weight this will have; perhaps it will have little actual effect compared to the other factors. Or, Google has taken a turn for the worst. [QUOTE=alexojm;37180943]The point of being a search engine is for people to search something and find it quickly. The idea is that it finds things for you. By making it purposely find things slower and making it harder for you to find what you are searching you are just ruining your own search engine. That basically takes the point out of a search engine.[/QUOTE] I think the intention is to show legal alternatives to illegal sources; so the search will still show the user what they are looking for, but perhaps not for the price they want.

So this is google being fed up with hollywood berating them over torrent sites?

I don't understand why you guys so heavily support piracy when it has very clear implications.

So bing may become finally useful

[QUOTE=DaMastez;37180988]I think the intention is to show legal alternatives to illegal sources; so the search will still show the user what they are looking for, but perhaps not for the price they want.[/QUOTE] As true as that is my point still stands as they are not doing their job of finding what you search for. Well if you are searching for the pirate bay and it does not come up them my point stands but if you are just searching for music and instead of the pirate bay it comes up with a legal option then that is ok.

[QUOTE=Downsider;37181128]piracy . . . has very clear implications.[/QUOTE] Elaborate.

[QUOTE=Downsider;37181128]I don't understand why you guys so heavily support piracy when it has very clear implications.[/QUOTE] I don't think people are supporting piracy as much as realizing this is a stupid thing to do, because it doesn't only effect piracy sites, it effects legit ones too. Read the article: [quote]One of the main problems with Google’s new ranking is that perfectly legitimate content on sites with a high number of takedown requests will be degraded as well. Taking YouTube as an example, millions of relevant and legal search results will be degraded simply because there are a high number of “unauthorized” videos posted to the site. Adding the high number of bogus DMCA notices which Google sees as valid, many sites may also be punished for the faulty takedown requests that copyright holders send. That’s worrying to say the least.[/quote]

[QUOTE=Downsider;37181128]I don't understand why you guys so heavily support piracy when it has very clear implications.[/QUOTE] I don't support piracy, but I don't want my search results to be based on anything other than how relevant they are to the phrase/image I searched for. I especially don't want other companies telling google where things should be ranked in it to boost their sales, that's what the sponsored results and adverts are for.

This is just giving in to the "law" makers for the corporate thugs. Still it will not curb piracy and people may see google as less crediable when they search for something and what they searched for appears lower down the chain of searched stuff.

[url=http://dontbubble.us/]DuckDuckGo[/url]?

eh piratebay still comes up on top of the list, no matter what I type in.. so dunno, this is hardly a big deal, google prob just wants to keep annoying companies off his ass

[QUOTE=T3hGamerDK;37181473][url=http://dontbubble.us/]DuckDuckGo[/url]?[/QUOTE] Just what I was thinking on :v:

[QUOTE]independent of whether the linked content is lawful or not[/QUOTE] This is BULLSHIT.

Cripple your search engine and a better one will take its place, simple.

I know it's become almost cliche to say this, but Hollywood should not be allowed this much power and influence, because this is going way too far. Though I know this won't happen until it's about 15 years too late, Hollywood needs to get over themselves and come up with better ways to offer their products so that people will be more inclined to purchase them. Increasing ticket prices is driving customers away, increasing DVD/Blu-Ray prices is driving customers away, the crazy cost of a CD is driving customers away...people just don't want to drop that kind of money. But no, Hollywood won't even consider lowering their prices because that means less money for them and we can't have that.

Maybe, maybe this is all a lie by Google just to get the DMCA to shut up. One can hope.

Oh so if someone is in competition with another website then they can file a bunch of DMCA notices against their competitor and become #1? Nah, people are way too nice to do that to each other, it'll never happen.

So from now on if I'm searching for torrent related stuff I'll have to start looking on the last search page and go down from there instead of the other way around? :v:

why won't they realize you can't stop piracy just like taking away guns won't stop a murderer from murdering

google what the fuck

[QUOTE=T3hGamerDK;37181473][url=http://dontbubble.us/]DuckDuckGo[/url]?[/QUOTE] Heard about this site a month or so ago and was like "Eh." Now I've bookmarked it and I'll be using it from now on instead of Google, thanks.

[QUOTE=DarkSiper;37181493]eh piratebay still comes up on top of the list, no matter what I type in.. so dunno, this is hardly a big deal, google prob just wants to keep annoying companies off his ass[/QUOTE] [quote][B]Starting next week[/B], we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site.[/quote] Also, I just noticed: [quote]Sites with high numbers of removal notices [b]may[/b] appear lower in our results,[/quote] Interesting...