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A WebmasterWorld thread reports that some publishers have had their Google AdSense ads deactivated over bogus DMCA filings.
DMCA, is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and Google has a policy of "removing or disabling access to material claimed to be the subject of infringing activity and/or terminating subscribers," when in question. Google allows those served with a DMCA notice to appeal the process, but that can take several days. Several days can mean big money for some publishers.
The publisher in the WebmasterWorld explained his case:
We received a DMCA Notice this morning. The "infringing" article has been on our site since 2006 (this can be verified at archive.org). We BOUGHT a license to USE the article at constant-content.com in 2006. The article in question is still available at constant-content.com, for any person to purchase. There is no unique/full rights available on this article.
He said "it took two faxes, two electronic counter notices, and a few emails, but this morning I received the email from Adsense Support to say they have re-enabled ad serving." He was without ads for about 6 days and he will never recoup that lost income.
Should there be a counter-claim with financial penalty for filing false DMCA requests?
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
