“Google has filed a brief at a federal court in Florida defending the file-hosting site Hotfile in its case against the MPAA. The search giant accuses the movie companies of misleading the court and argues that Hotfile is protected under the DMCA’s safe harbor. Indirectly, Google is also refuting claims being made by the US government in the criminal case against Megaupload.” Obviously, Google isn’t really defending Hotfile or MegaUpload here – they’re defending themselves by proxy.
Is more like “We are losing credibility and we need to do something about it, I know, lets use the hotfile/megaupload case in our favor, and maybe people will forget all the lame and illegal things we have been doing lately”.
Nice try Google.
No.
Google allows people to upload files and share them, so do these sites. If Google doesn’t argue their case, they are likely to lose functionality with their offerings.
Why not both?
Don’t know what’s with the Google hate. Are you some kind of Microsoft fanboy mad that your company is no longer relevant?
There are always ways to put a negative spin on things, but I have no reason to believe Google doesn’t do what they think is best for the user. If it’s not, then they’ll fix it. I don’t see how any worse Google is from anyone else. They certainly have never done anything illegal intentionally, otherwise they would lose lawsuits all the times.
If you want to talk illegal, just try changing your search engine in Internet Explorer. It’s really fucking well hidden. I don’t understand how they can get away with this without being sued for antitrust, again.
Yes because if you hate Google, you must love Microsoft … it isn’t a dichotomy my friend.
Edited 2012-03-23 13:25 UTC
Everybody knows there are 4 choices: Google, Microsoft, Sony, Apple
How about none?
You forgot us freetards.
but I have no reason to believe Google doesn’t do what they think is best for the user. If it’s not, then they’ll fix
Yeah right,zombie some more.
The “credibility” gained from this would be negligible.
Most people don’t care, many people even believe the propaganda that Hotfile (et al) are illegal darknets that should be terminated and the staff imprisoned for life.
But most importantly, those that do care are not all leaving Google in their droves anyway. YouTube is a de facto standard for video sharing. Google Maps is the de facto standard for maps and Google Search is the de facto standard search engine.
Google don’t stand to loose much in terms of public opinion. However they will loose a great deal if the courts rule that YouTube is illegal off the back of the Hotfile / Megaupload saga.
I doubt that even the common man knows about Mega Hot Uploaded File or indeed cares.
Of course Google has their on-line disk, while this service, just like Dropbox or Microsoft’s Skydrive, isn’t geared towards ‘illegal’ file sharing like Hot Uploaded Mega File was it could be a next step by the media industry.
How many imaginary jobs were lost because of Megaupload and Hotfile?
By their calculations, probably somewhere around 8 or 9 billion jobs:
http://blog.ted.com/2012/03/20/the-numbers-behind-the-copyright-mat…
Have we discovered a new form of mathematics more powerful than Douglas Adams’ own “Bistromathics”?!!?!!
If you want facts and numbers and common sense, I still prefer this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL2FOrx41N0
An other small fact I picked up somewhere, ironically the harddisk industry also makes more money than the music and film industry combined.