As if the "Anti Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act" and the UDRP weren't enough, now they are using the DMCA in order to chill speech by preventing anyone from FINDING it. And who is doing this? Surprize! It's Kazaa, itself a target of overzealous copyright infringement lawyers.
The cease and desist letter is being published on the Chilling Effects website at the link. It demands that Google suspend showing the following domains on their search engine:
a. http://www.kazaagold.com
b. http://mp3download.com
c. http://www.kazaalite.tk
d. http://www.kaaza.com
e. http://doa2.host.sk
f. http://www.k-lite.tk
g. http://www.kazaa-file-sharing-downloads.com
h. http://www.kazaalite.nl
i. http://home/hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm
j. http://www.kazaa-download.de
k. http://www.zeropaid.com
l. http//www.kazaalite.nl/downloads.htm
m. http://kazaa.infos-du-net.com
n. http://www.kazaa-lite.tk
o. http://www.kazaa-lite.info
Although it's quite difficult to figure out why, for example, mp3download.com would be infringing kazaa, now the owners of that domain are put in the defensive position of having to explain why they aren't infinging or they MAY be pulled off Google. How Google, as a mere sarch engine displaying content that others have put up, is expected to filter for these domain names and sites to remove things is completely beyond my comprehension.
This is yet another blatent attempt at chilling speech by strongarming domain name holders, NOT directly in court the way they should, but by indirect means of asking a third party to do their dirty work for them.
Posted by ooblick at September 2, 2003 09:03 PM