EurekAlert: The hidden treasure of digital piracy? Can boost bottom line for manufacturers, retailers. “Research analysis by faculty in Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and two other schools found that a moderate level of piracy can have a positive impact on the bottom line for both the manufacturer and the retailer — and not at the expense of consumers.”
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Dirt-Cheap, Legit, Windows Software: Pick Two (Krebs on Security)
Krebs on Security: Dirt-Cheap, Legit, Windows Software: Pick Two. “Last week, KrebsOnSecurity heard from a reader who’d just purchased a copy of Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus from a seller on eBay for less than $4. Let’s call this Red Flag #1, as a legitimately purchased license of Microsoft Office 2016 is still going to cost between $70 and $100. Nevertheless, almost 350 other people had made the same purchase from this seller over the past year, according to eBay, and there appear to be many auctioneers just like this one.”
Techdirt: EU’s First Attempt At Building A List Of Evil Pirate Sites… Lists Non-Infringing Sites
Techdirt: EU’s First Attempt At Building A List Of Evil Pirate Sites… Lists Non-Infringing Sites. “In mid-January, the EU is hoping to finalize the EU Copyright Directive, including Article 13, which will effectively create mandatory copyright filters for many internet websites (while, laughably, insisting it creates no such burden — but leaving no other option for most sites). One of the key arguments being made by supporters of Article 13 is that it’s crazy to think that this law will be used to block legitimate content. This is pretty silly, considering how frequently we write about bogus DMCA takedowns. As if trying to prove just how bad they are at properly classifying infringing content, the EU recently released its ‘Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List’, which is a sort of EU version of the USTR’s ‘notorious markets’ list.”
The Verge: YouTube faces backlash on Twitter over lifted, uncredited holiday video
The Verge: YouTube faces backlash on Twitter over lifted, uncredited holiday video. “When Lily Hevesh opened Twitter and saw YouTube’s Christmas video, it looked very familiar. That’s because it was her own. YouTube’s tweet doesn’t credit Hevesh at all, or mention her YouTube channel. The tweet also cuts Hevesh’s intro, which acts as a welcome to her channel for those who stumble upon the video. Hevesh’s original video, uploaded to YouTube on December 23rd, has just over 60,000 views, but YouTube’s lifted version boasts more than 250,000.” YouTube eventually DID credit Hevesh, but what an awful case of a giant Internet company just flat out ripping somebody off. If you want to see her domino creations for yourself, her channel is Hevesh5.
Hiding in plain sight: The YouTubers’ crowdfunding piracy (Engadget)
Engadget: Hiding in plain sight: The YouTubers’ crowdfunding piracy. “I never imagined I would be watching Kitchen Nightmares, starring the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, in my downtime on YouTube. I knew of Ramsay and his ruthlessness from shows like Hell’s Kitchen, but I had never heard of Kitchen Nightmares until a few weeks ago, when an episode popped up on YouTube’s Trending section. Next thing you know, I’m hooked and watching full episodes of it on my phone instead of the usual sneaker videos. But aside from Ramsay’s rants at owners of filthy restaurants, something else caught my attention — these uploads weren’t from Fox, which owns the rights to the show in the US. Instead, they were from an unofficial channel called ‘Kitchen Nightmares Hotel Hell and Hell’s Kitchen.’ And as if that wasn’t brazen enough, the owner explicitly asked viewers for donations to fund the uploading of copyrighted content.”
TorrentFreak: Google Meets Russian Govt Body to Discuss Ongoing Piracy Issues
TorrentFreak: Google Meets Russian Govt Body to Discuss Ongoing Piracy Issues. “Google has been officially invited to become a signatory to the anti-piracy memorandum signed in Moscow earlier this month. During a meeting with government telecoms body Roscomnadzor on Wednesday, Google’s recent violation of Russian law was also discussed. The search giant is facing a fine after it displayed links to permanently banned sites within its search results.”
Tubefilter: YouTube Has Paid Out More Than $3 Billion To Copyright Holders Through Content ID
Tubefilter: YouTube Has Paid Out More Than $3 Billion To Copyright Holders Through Content ID. “In its latest How Google Fights Piracy report, Google gave an under-the-hood look at numbers for YouTube’s copyright infringement-busting Content ID system, introduced back in 2007. Newly revealed stats include the fact that through Content ID, YouTube has paid out more than $3 billion in ad revenue to content creators, up from $1 billion in 2014, and $2 billion in 2016. The report also revealed that, to date, Google has invested $100 million in Content ID’s staffing and digital infrastructure, up from $60 million in 2016.”
