The Google team doesn’t seem to appreciate email as a form of communication
I’ve written about Google’s laborious and time-consuming DMCA takedown maze, a process that forces creators to find, then fill out cumbersome online forms. I’ve also written about the fact that Google makes it difficult, if not impossible, to find the email address for its DMCA Agent–in apparent violation of the law’s requirements.
Even when you do find the correct email address for Google’s DMCA agent (via the U.S. Copyright Office), the Google team’s correspondence makes it clear that you will be penalized for taking this legal, more efficient approach. Sending a DMCA takedown request via email is far less burdensome for a couple significant reasons:
- Sending a DMCA via email is fast and easy in contrast to Google’s online form
- You have a copy of the DMCA notice you send, making record-keeping and follow-up much easier
Of course, if you do send a DMCA takedown notice to Google via email it seems to really annoy the Google “team.” Take a look at the email responses to a DMCA notice I recently sent via email. Note that the DMCA template I used was crafted by my attorney.
In response to this perfectly legal and accurate DMCA notice, I received this email asking me to be sure that my original notice complied with the law. I was forced to send a second email confirming that yes, I do know what the heck I am doing when I send a DMCA takedown notice.
Google makes you send a second email
Ok, after all this, Google still isn’t happy. Yes, they eventually end up complying with the law and sending me confirmation that they are acting on my takedown request…but, but….next time, you’d better do it the Google-way using their online takedown maze.
No thank you. I prefer to send my DMCA notices in a way that benefits ME, not Google. It’s not my fault that Google’s business model is such that attracts a tsunami of takedowns every day.
The fact is that Google has the technology to process DMCA notices via email just as easily those sent via its web form(s). While submitting DMCA requests via an online form may be helpful for those individuals who aren’t familiar with the process–or creators who send them infrequently–Google’s convoluted online takedown process serves simply as a time- sucking deterrent.
Maybe if I sent the DMCA via a GMAIL account they’d be more receptive? 😉