Google AdSense complicit in blog post theft?

Apparently I am one of the blessed ones to get this letter from Google AdSense in response to my complaint about abuse of my writings (this is how some pretentious bloggers create content to fool AdSense into paying up). Advertisers should know this practice is rampant.

Hello Marie,

Thank you for your note. It is our policy to respond to notices of alleged
infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the
text of which can be found at the U.S. Copyright Office website:
http://www.copyright.gov/) and other applicable intellectual property
laws. In this case, this means that if we receive proper notice of
infringement, we will forward that notice to the responsible web site
publisher.

To file a notice of infringement with us, you must provide a written
communication (by fax or regular mail, not by email) that sets forth the
items specified below. Please note that pursuant to that Act, you may be
liable to the alleged infringer for damages (including costs and
attorneys’ fees) if you materially misrepresent that you own an item when
you in fact do not. Accordingly, if you are not sure whether you have the
right to request removal from our service, we suggest that you first
contact an attorney.

To expedite our ability to process your request, please use the following
format (including section numbers):

1. Identify in sufficient detail the copyrighted work that you believe has
been infringed upon. For example, “The copyrighted work at issue is the
text that appears on http://www.legal.com/legal_page.html.”

2. Identify the material that you claim is infringing upon the copyrighted
work listed in item #1 above. You must identify each page that allegedly
contains infringing material by providing its URL.

3. Provide information reasonably sufficient to permit Google to contact
you (email address is preferred).

4. Include the following statement: “I have a good faith belief that use
of the copyrighted materials described above on the allegedly infringing
web pages is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the
law.”

5. Include the following statement: “I swear, under penalty of perjury,
that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the
copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an
exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.”

6. Sign the paper.

7. Send the written communication to the following address:

Google, Inc.
Attn: AdSense Support, DMCA complaints
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043

OR Fax to:

(650) 618-8507, Attn: AdSense Support, DMCA complaints

Regards,
The Google AdSense Team

Until the victim goes through this red tape, the thieves continue. Even though the thief has violated Google AdSense’s terms, there is no sign of action on Google’s part. I will go through the process but c’mon Google–get real! Get human beings on this without delay, not automated responses, robots and inaction in the face of uncontroverted evidence.

I might add that I provided all the evidence already, WHO IS info, images of the theft. Google has enough to proceed. Google must know that this letter frustrates the victims, slows the process and both Google continue to collect from unaware advertisers and the thieves from Google. What a sideshow.

The question to be asked is, “Is Google complicit in the theft by getting revenue on stolen property?” Yes, especially when they are made aware. Their lawyers are way to busy fighting Viacom on their claims (which by the way I think is flimsy compared to this one); but the theft of bloggers’ content to extract dollars from Google AdSense is much more widepread.

“Don’t be evil” is Google’s mantra. We’ll see.

Read my earlier post about the theft.

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