Microsoft Sends CultofMac a DMCA Takedown — For Linking To Windows 7 Beta?
11:00 am, October 21st, 2009, Leander Kahney
UPDATE: Microsoft has canceled the legal threat. I just got an email directly from DtecNet, the anti-piracy company working with Microsoft, saying they have formally withdrawn the notice. There was no explanation why — or why it was issued it in the first place. “After careful review, we sent the below retraction notice below to your ISP,” DtecNet said. “We apologize for any inconvenience.” The problem is that without an explanation of why CoM was targeted, I don’t know what the best response is. It looks like DtecNet made a mistake with us, but the DMCA is a draconian law and easily abused. How many other sites and ISPs have complied to bogus notices like this?
On Tuesday morning, Microsoft sent a DMCA takedown notice to our Web host concerning a post we published back in January about loading the Windows 7 beta on a MacBook.
The DMCA notice demanded we remove the post because it allegedly makes Windows 7 available for “copying through downloading.” (The full text of the notice is after the jump).
Trouble is, we have no idea what Microsoft is talking about. We presumed the post may contain a link to a pirated copy of Windows 7. But the only download link is to Microsoft’s official Windows 7 beta. Surely Microsoft isn’t trying to remove all links to its beta a few days before the final product goes on sale on October 22?
Below is a copy of the notice sent to our host, San Francisco’s Laughing Squid, via its upstream provider, Rackspace. Both companies over the years have become adept at handling threats under the DMCA (the Digital Millenium Copyright Act), which is a shoot first, ask questions later kind of law. But one of these notices puts everyone over a barrel: If we don’t comply, Laughing Squid is obliged to take us offline lest it gets taken offline itself by Rackspace.
But the notice doesn’t specify what the infringment is, nor what has to be taken down. Rackspace has contacted the company acting for Microsoft, DtecNet, for clarification. We’ve left the post alone until we clearly understand the demands.
DtecNet is an anti-piracy company based out of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company is most famous (or infamous) for working with the RIAA, which is now targeting ISPs rather than individual music downloaders. The company has developed proprietary software for detecting piracy on file-sharing nets, blogs and usent, and is a full-service shop. As well as gathering evidence for court cases, it sends out Cease & Desist letters and DMCA notices to ISPs. “Monitor, detect and enforce,” the company says in a sales brochure.
It looks like some kind of automated process went awry.
We contacted Fred von Lohman, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says it’s unlikely that Microsoft objects to the beta download link. “Can’t be,” he said in email. “That’s an official MSFT site, so not a link to infringing material.”
But the post contains only three other links — one to an online tutorial on a blog called Our Coffee Stops; another to a patch for Apple’s BootCamp; and the third to a software update from Apple. Then the there’s the beta download link, which is the only one that makes mention of Windows 7.
Here’s the DMCA takedown letter:
Demand for Immediate Take-Down: Notice of Infringing Activity
URL: http://cultofmac.com
DATE: 19 spalio 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
Microsoft has received information that the domain listed above, which
appears to be on servers under your control, is offering unlicensed
copies of, or is engaged in other unauthorized activities relating to
copyrighted works published by Microsoft.
1. Identification of copyrighted works:
Copyrighted work(s): Windows 7
Copyright owner: Microsoft
2. Copyright infringing material or activity found at the following
location(s):
http://www.cultofmac.com/howto-windows-7-on-unibody-macbook-takes-all-afternoon/7184
The above computer program(s) is being made available for copying,
through downloading, at the above location without authorization of the
copyright owner.
3. Statement of authority:
The information in this notice is accurate, and I hereby certify under
penalty of perjury that I am authorized to act on behalf of Microsoft,
the owner of the copyright(s) in the work(s) identified above. I have a
good faith belief that none of the materials or activities listed above
have been authorized by Microsoft, its agents, or the law.
We hereby give notice of these activities to you and request that you
take expeditious action to remove or disable access to the material
described above, and thereby prevent the illegal reproduction and
distribution of this software via your company’s network.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Please advise us
regarding what actions you take.
Yours sincerely,
Sigitas Vy’nauskas
Internet Investigator
On behalf of Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
United States of America
E-mail: antipiracy@dtecnet.com
Posted by Leander Kahney in News, Windows on Mac | Comment on this article
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Maybe Ballmer wants to wrest the mantle of heavy-handed corporate intimidation back from from Apple, too? I tremble thinking what may happen to someone running Windows 7 beta on a Hackintosh computer.
imajoebob, on October 21st, 2009 at 11:33 am
“If we don’t comply [to take down the offending material], Laughing Squid is obliged to take us offline lest it gets taken offline itself by Rackspace”
This is not true. You have the option of either removing it OR replying with a notice of some kind that you don’t believe it’s infringing (basically, that you are willing to defend the post in court).
dave, on October 21st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Someone should charge Sigitas Vy’nauskas with purgery.
Scott, on October 21st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Interesting that a Danish company would put a Lithuanian date (spalio) instead of Danish (Oktober) or even English (given that the rest of the letter is English)…
PJ, on October 21st, 2009 at 11:51 am
I’ll continue with this post as soon as I find the ‘Dingbat’ font symbol for the upraised middle finger…
Gettin’ real tired of Microsoft.
Erin's Dad, on October 21st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
As ever, its Microsoft being completely ridiculous.
But i do agree, this is probably the automated software that has flagged up something which shouldn’t have been flagged.
Andrew Macdonald, on October 21st, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Clean-up bullshit!
Exactly what you said, they are scouring the internet looking to remove anything with a link to the beta, just before the retail goes 100% public!
Dear old Barmy-Ballmer, he does give us a chuckle!
Fuzzypig, on October 21st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Microsoft should pay you for stealing your attention…
Deleuzz, on October 21st, 2009 at 2:19 pm
my guess is that they never clicked the link to see that it led to their own website and ASSumed it was a torrent or some such.
so you go back and show the bosses the link preferably with proof that it was always that way and done deal.
Charli, on October 21st, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Publicity stunt, that is it.
Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, on October 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The DMCA has clauses to penalize people who send incorrect or bogus takedown notices. Why doesn’t anyone who get’s a bogus notice use these to punch back and make a much needed point?
This sounds like an excellent time to do that.
Mark Atwood, on October 21st, 2009 at 5:10 pm