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How Google is Trying to Discourage Piracy

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Google makes use of various `signals' to ensure that it's search algorithms deliver the best possible results. One such signal that Google has started to take into consideration, is the number of valid copyright removal notices they receive for any given site. As such, sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in the search results which you get. This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily, whether it's a song preview, a TV show or music being streamed.

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Google has been receiving much more data by copyright owners about infringing content online in the past few years than ever. Amit Singhal, SVP, Engineering, writes on the official Google search blog: Only copyright holders know if something is authorized, and only courts can decide if a copyright has been infringed; Google cannot determine whether a particular webpage does or does not violate copyright law. So while this new signal will influence the ranking of some search results, we won't be removing any pages from search results unless we receive a valid copyright removal notice from the rights owner. And we'll continue to provide "counter-notice" tools so that those who believe their content has been wrongly removed can get it reinstated.

This development at Google naturally went well with industry bodies like the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). In a press release issued by the MPAA about their statement on Google's plans to better prioritize legal content, Michael O'Leary, Senior Executive Vice President for Global Policy and External Affairs of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) commented: "We are optimistic that Google's actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online, and away from the rogue cyberlockers, peer-to-peer sites, and other outlaw enterprises that steal the hard work of creators across the globe. We will be watching this development closely - the devil is always in the details - and look forward to Google taking further steps to ensure that its services favor legitimate businesses and creators, not thieves."

When you make online purchases, how does the placement of search results affect your purchase decision? Let us know by writing to us at pcquest@cybermedia.co.in

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