Google Copyright Bots kill app over "potentially infringing" images
(Techdir): https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150326/07041230436/copyright-bots-kill-app-over-potentially-infringing-images-follow-this-up-blocking-app-use-ccpublic-domain-images.shtml "Tolriq Yatse, the developer of a popular Xbox Media Center (XMBC) remote control app for Android phones, ran into this very problem with Google's Play Store, which suddenly dumped his app over "intellectual property violations" after more than 2 years of trouble-free listing. This might have been a quick fix if Google had been more forthcoming with details, but all Yatse received was a brief notice as his app was removed from the Play store." - - - The implication here is that Google is playing active "studio cop" -- doing takedowns of this nature preemptively even in the absence of any complaints by IP holders. And of course unless there's a big public stink to attract attention, even for these long-term app developers to get any real explanation is almost impossible. And what would be wrong with initially warning (e.g. "please change this within 10 days or your app will no longer be available") the app developer first in a situation like this (an app that has been available for years trouble-free), rather than just pulling down the app on such a basis as the first action. C'mon, this just doesn't make sense. The worst part of this is how Google treats app developers who have long been in good standing -- seemingly no better especially in terms of communications than they treat fly-by-night spam app developers. You can do much better, Google. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren Founder: - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com _______________________________________________ pfir mailing list http://lists.pfir.org/mailman/listinfo/pfir
