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July 11, 2007

Top 50 Copyrighted Videos Google is Pirating

Nick Gonzalez

39 comments »

googlepirate.pngIt’s no secret that the net is a multi-headed hydra of piracy. When a video gets taken down place, it often pops up somewhere else. P2P applications, torrenting, and news groups have long served up copyrighted content to those in the know. Sometimes DMCA notices are respected, other times companies get sued into oblivion (e.g Napster).

However, new web sites are making it even easier for anyone who can click a mouse to access copyrighted content across the net. You no longer need to know your way around IRC or understand what a .torrent file is. Instead you can just stream them over any number of social video sites we’ve talked about before.

Piracy is going mainstream and the National Legal and Policy Center is pointing the finger at Google for facilitating it. Today they released a study outlining Google’s role in helping piracy. It’s nothing new for Google, which was slapped with a $1 billion lawsuit by Viacom over YouTube. YouTube has since implemented so-so anti-piracy protection through AudibleMagic.

The big difference here is that Google doesn’t always host the content users find, they only facilitate finding it. Copyright holders have already gone after ISPs, so it’s not a stretch to think they’d go after search engines as well. Google has received wide criticism over their self imposed censorship in China. Will censorship come to US search results because of copyright infringement?

The study highlighted 50 movies/programs that Google is helping pirate through their video search engine. The full list is here, but I’ve included a sample of the top 10 with links to the ones I could find below:

Production Company Program/Movie Status Type Days Posted Year Views
Warner Brothers Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire (Part I)* Up Movie 434 2005 165,367
HBO Baghdad ER Up Special 409 2006 121,295
Columbia Spiderman Up Movie 290 2004 12,739
Hollwood Pictures Stay Alive Up Movie 284 2006 443,577
MGM The Woods Up Movie 284 2006 84,761
Universal Miami Vice (French dub) Up Movie 276 2006 663
Miramax Jet Li – Twin Warriors Up Movie 275 1993 425,107
HBO Ali G, Season 1 Up Episode 2 256 2003 126,922
HBO Ali G, Season 1 Up Episode 3 256 2003 34,527
HBO Ali G, Season 2 Up Episode 11 256 2004 19,911
  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 at 5:37 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. Ning is Not Yours

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:03 pm

    Nice ! I am the first to comment !

  2. Vik

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:06 pm

    Damn, I’m second. Story of my life :-(

  3. MGZ

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    Lawyers threatening libel suit in 3… 2… 1…

    (Or can you prove that *GOOGLE* is pirating anything, as your title states?)

  4. coca-tea

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:28 pm

    :O this is amazing! i’m not surprised though… google pwns the world

  5. AP

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:31 pm

    uh oh. Google owes Michael Moore 739,711*$10=$7.4MM. Time for his next film, Flicko :-)

  6. coca-tea

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:31 pm

    wait.. i only see 10… i thought the post said “top 50″
    where are the other 40?

  7. coca-tea

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:33 pm

    http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?a.....p;aid=2082
    nevermind.. i didn’t read the entire post… i found the link at the bottom of the post. lol st00pid me

  8. Nick Gonzalez

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:34 pm

    According to Urban Dictionary, Google Pwn is defined as “Google searching the name of a friend, and revealing any embarassing findings in an away message.”

  9. Phillip

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    It should be noted that the NLPC is a right-wing group that files rather egregious lawsuits against traditionally liberal or Democratic groups (George Soros, Rep. Pelosi, Sen. Lieberman, Al Sharpton) on a regular basis. While they may have published an interesting bit of information, the link they attempt to draw between Google and “piracy” is tenuous at best.

  10. Bryan Murley

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:55 pm

    The NLPC sounds like a conservative think-tank, potentially astroturf (no list of supporters, no idea where their funding comes from), from their web site. Your headline sounds like a scare tactic.

  11. other

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:57 pm

    “Google Pwn is defined as “Google searching the name of a friend, and revealing any embarassing findings in an away message.””

    I don’t think anyone actually does that. I can’t even be sure you didn’t just go add that in. Also, thanks for the gestapo post.

  12. Zaid

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:58 pm

    In the words of AliG, r.e.s.t.e.c.k.p.a!

  13. Chris Sack

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

    snitch

  14. David Mackey

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:58 pm

    You shouldn’t be able to sue someone for indexing content. Its impractical for Google to manage what is legal or not. Companies need to pursue the pirates themselves, if anyone.

  15. Chris

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

    Only part one for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Consider it a really long preview.

    To be honest, I don’t understand the purpose of pirating movies. The quality is so low it’s amazing anyone watches them.

    -Chris
    http://www.nerdcouncil.com

  16. bernie lomax

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Thanks for posting…again…newsworthy because?

  17. hedda

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:41 pm

    Title is inflammatory baiting. You can do better than this. What’s next, will e-mailing a link to pirated material be considered piracy?

  18. Natdot

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:56 pm

    NLPC’s position is entirely idiotic. Don’t they realize that *every* word and *every* video posted/published on the internet, from the most pointless blog to the stupidest coke/mentos video, is protected by copyright? As such any search engine that allows the public to search for content is “helping” users to pirate that content. If that is the basis for suit then all search engines are illegal. Give me a break!

  19. Google should tell Viacom back off

    July 11th, 2007 at 9:06 pm

    Here’s common sense question for Viacom.
    They would avoid or ignore my question almost every day and my emails.

    Okay, RIAA say you can’t download anything into computer. Pirating videos at Youtube — No users actually download video or store cache into internet driver.

    How can Viacom sue youtube viewers for violating copyright?

    What is difference between TV and Youtube?

  20. DVDshrink 3.2

    July 11th, 2007 at 9:36 pm

    use http://www.isohunt
    Use DVDShrink 3.2 for DVDs
    DVDfabDcrypter works for Sony Protection
    Use IP hider before downloading
    If you download often, go out and pick up something to share. Seed, don’t Leech!

  21. Blog Opinion

    July 11th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

    Google and Youtube contain lots of copyrighted content. I wrote on music piracy which is increasing. I can see many music video available for free on youtube.

  22. Tom Anderson

    July 11th, 2007 at 11:02 pm

    Hi TC,
    This Tom Anderson, Product Manager of Google Pirate, glad you all are enjoying the efforts we’ve made at GP over the last year. We are a small subsidiary operating based out of Sweden. Keep your pants on as we roll out the largest collection of low quality video ever seen on the web over the coming months.

    Do No Evil!

  23. anthonyr

    July 11th, 2007 at 11:05 pm

    Oh Sweet, I haven’t seen twin warriors in years! Thanks.

  24. Brian

    July 11th, 2007 at 11:09 pm

    This so tired!

    You can’t accuse a search engine of facilitating the pirating of copyrighted material without admiting that they are also facilitating law enforcement/copyright holders in finding the individuals/sites responsible.

  25. Glock

    July 11th, 2007 at 11:38 pm

    youtube has also been in trouble for hosting copyright stuff…

  26. Tom Anderson

    July 12th, 2007 at 12:34 am

    ORLY?

  27. Nick Gonzalez

    July 12th, 2007 at 12:54 am

    YARLY.

  28. Treasure

    July 12th, 2007 at 1:14 am

    Oh no. If only you hadn’t *linked* to the videos that you previously stated were pirated–Google removes the links from their index once they realize they’re not licensed. Liability upon actual knowledge–that’s the law, which Google spends considerable resources following. Unlike TechCrunch–now you’re going to be in jail longer than Sergey, or at least have some idiotic blogger trying to create an untenable scandal using your post.

    I’m sure we’ll all have more sympathy (maybe even visit you in jail) once the movie studios start even attempting to be capitalists and enable consumers to pay for content using modern distribution mechanisms. Or at the very least they should leak some focus group studies that give a tenable argument as to why they can’t make more money charging the consumer while the consumer takes on the entire cost of distribution. The mind reels. Pun intended.

  29. manihtar rakahdus

    July 12th, 2007 at 5:06 am

    Its unbelievable. Google… No chance

  30. Glen R

    July 12th, 2007 at 5:41 am

    Google just finds content and publishes links to it. If Google is guilty, then so are you, Mr. Gonzalez! You just published links to copyrighted material! And specifically pointed out how it’s unethical!

  31. Techie Dude

    July 12th, 2007 at 5:59 am

    Isn’t it funny to realize shortly after reviewing the annual reports of google that 5% of google is owned by Time Warner and 90% is owned by AOL which is owned by Time Warner… ahem…. shoulnd’t someone suit AOL for the infringement by now then??? Just an idea to finally slap them all in the same basket.

  32. Concrete Stain

    July 12th, 2007 at 6:18 am

    I would totally start saying how this isn’t web2.0 and your just Google bashing becuase they didnt come out of Ycombinator …

    But ….

    I love ALi G

  33. Steven

    July 12th, 2007 at 9:10 am

    The actual infringement that is being done by the user that has made the copyrighted material publicly available. One thing you must understand is that all authored works, whether it is someones personal blog or a commercial website is copyrighted material unless they place it in the public domain. So it could be said that 90% or more of what Google links too is copyrighted material. Even this site is copyrighted by TechCrunch and yet Google can link too it.

    In the case of YouTube, YouTube is hosting the files that users upload. There is a large amount of unauthorized material on YouTube, but there is also plenty of legitimate use going on. You can’t blame YouTube for the actions of its subscribers, only for not taking reasonable steps to remove the infringing material once its been notified.

  34. website copywriter

    July 12th, 2007 at 9:27 am

    There is no clear right or wrong in this scenario. That’s the problem.

  35. luis espinoza

    July 12th, 2007 at 11:47 am

    i nit you servicies

  36. Vic

    July 12th, 2007 at 12:23 pm

    Google isn’t pirating anything. It’s the users who submit the content.
    It’s like if someone robs someone in my building, did i rob someone? No.

  37. Shortshire

    July 12th, 2007 at 2:37 pm

    All I have to say is wow, another group of people trying to sue Google. The DMCA is getting mad that people are pirating content yet people are only streaming the videos. So if I watch a movie at my friends house, would that be copyright infringement? I don’t think so. Maybe the DMCA will stop complaining and enjoy that they are making tons of money off of movies in the theatre and other services. The DMCA should stop bothering people and realize that everyone at least puts one thing on the internet.

  38. john griffin

    July 12th, 2007 at 3:56 pm

    I agree that You shouldn’t be able to sue someone for indexing content. That issue alone for google is impractical if not impossible for Google to manage what would be legal or not. They have to figure out some way to work with the media companies better to avoid this bad publicity and have some bullets to fire back, showing what they have done to combat the piracy taking place on their sites.

  39. Ron

    July 16th, 2007 at 3:04 am

    The big difference here is that Google doesn’t always host the content users find, they only facilitate finding it.

    The same was true for Napster, if I remember correctly and they have never been the same.

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