Manasi VarmaVindex, an anti-piracy firm and partner to Ukraine-based TV channel TRK has asked tech giant Google to take down a search result that points to IP 127.0.0.1. To clear things up, the code refers to a server’s localhost, and so, this request essentially means that the anti-piracy company apparently found copyright-infringing content on its own server.
127.0.0.1: Some Win, Some Lose
Infringing sites often turn up on search results, and consequently, Google, among other search engines, usually sees a number of DMCA takedown requests coming its way. In terms of numbers, think five billion takedown requests, in addition to millions of new URLs, being processed every week.
And while in many cases, the reports point to genuinely problematic issues, in others, legit websites may be flagged as piracy sites. What’s even more amusing (or perhaps not so much) is that one too many copyright holders actually end up targeting their own websites, especially since most don’t know what specific codes actually stands for. The latter case recently came up at Toomics not too long ago.
Vindex Coming Down Hard On….. Itself
And now, Vindex is the latest victim of another similar type of complaint. TRK Ukraine sent a request to Google to take down content hosted on the IP address 127.0.0.1, which, in reality, is actually its localhost. Suffice it to say that Vindex had actually flagged a file (with the link 127.0.0.1:6878/ace/manifest.m3u) on its own service. The file is apparently some type of playlist file, of the kind that is often implicated in pirated content. But here’s the catch. The file doesn’t actually exist on Vindex’s own servers (since it’s actually a localhost link).
Image Credits: TorrentFreak
And so, unsurprisingly, Google has not taken any action to take down the file that, as per the notice served by the applicant, “illegally provides external links” through which users can download un-authorized and copyrighted football content.
So, all the drama ultimately boils down to the supposition that Vindex may well be in need of taking a deeper look into its so-called “takedown bots,” which are responsible for identifying any materials that may be infringing the firm’s copyrights. At the end of the day, the anti-piracy company does not exactly have the best track record when it comes to the DMCA takedown requests filed by it, with reports revealing that only about a meagre 10% of all its requests actually elicited an action on Google’s part.
Source: TorrentFreak