WIPR survey: Readers call on Google to step up piracy fight

WIPR readers have called on Google to do more in the fight against piracy with readers saying its efforts are not enough.

Responding to WIPR’s most recent survey, 62% of readers said Google needed to do more to tackle copyright infringement online.

Our question came in response to a statement from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in which it described Google as a “piracy enabler”.

The BPI was responding to Google’s “How Google Fights Piracy, 2016” report, released on July 13.

In the report Google said it had created more than $2 billion for rights owners via Google-owned YouTube’s Content ID tool—a function that allows copyright owners to identify and manage their own content.

But Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, said: “Although we welcome the measures Google has taken so far, it is still one of the key enablers of piracy on the planet.”

In their responses readers appeared to agree with Taylor.

One said: “It [Google] continues to list piracy sites high up in its search engine results.”

Another said that at the moment Google takes advantage of safe harbour legal provisions and that it needs “pirates” for its business strategy.

A spokesperson for Google told WIPR: “YouTube is working collaboratively with the music industry to bring more money to artists beyond the $3 billion we've already paid out to date.

“Our rights management system, Content ID, goes above and beyond what the law requires, and automates over 99.5% of music claims made on our platform on fan-uploaded content. Today—the music industry chooses to leave up and monetise 95% of these videos, which in turn drives 50% of their revenue.”

For this week’s question we ask: “Last week WIPR reported that sandal maker Birkenstock will stop supplying its products to Amazon after experiencing repeated counterfeiting problems.  Do you think we will see more brands take this approach with Amazon and other online stores?”