Google is the king of companies that actually place ads on websites throughout the world. If Google can develop all the sophisticated algorithms to place these targeted ads, why can’t Google filter these sites which feature ILLEGAL download links and streams to pirated films? With every click of their ads Google makes $$$ as do the pirates. The only ones who don’t make money–the filmmakers.
Below is a Google ad for Pixar’s “Toy-Story 3.” With this week’s government crackdown on various pirate sites (great news) this ad becomes even more ironic given that “Toy Story 3” is one of the films sited by the MPAA and the Feds as being a major victim of online piracy. The Netflix ads on the site only ad to the irony since Netflix actually carries our film.
While it’s not particularly surprising, Google ads seem to find their way on websites in all languages as well. Google AdSense ads are everywhere on pirate websites. See some samples below found in during my web wanderings in search of illegal versions of LOLA.
An example of a banner ad supplied by Google on site listing illegal links to our film.
Another Google ad above an actual imbedded illegal stream of And Then Came Lola (Wolfe Logo at the beginning of the film playing onscreen).Pirate streaming site with Network Solutions banner ad (see googlesyndication source code in screen cap below)
Source code showing Google AdSense (googlesyndication.com) link en route to advertising website
Google supposedly has “Terms of Service” that AdSense clients agree to. The inference is that a DMCA notice is submitted (and found credible) the AdSense accounts will be shut-down. However, Google’s application of this “policy” has so far seemed fairly inconsistent and arbitrary. Google’s DMCA procedure also requires the “alleged” copyright holder to report each and every page containing Google ads and not simply the URL of the page, but each and every infringing link found on the site.
Take a look at the screen capture below. Note how many individual links would need to be recorded and submitted. Then, multiply that by hundreds, perhaps thousands, and you quickly see what a time consuming process this becomes.
Website featuring numerous links to illegal streams of LOLA. Pop-up ads from various companies including Google affiliate "Double-click."
Google is clearly the market leader in providing ads (and revenue) to pirate websites around the world.
More Google pop-ads on Blogger page (Google owned also) with LOLA streaming in full
More Google ads on a Arabic subtitled version of our film.
Here's a website in Arabic that features Google ads and links to illegal downloads of LOLA.
Splash page on pirate side. LOLA is book-ended by Google ads.
Another Google pop-up ad while waiting for LOLA to load on the same site as above.
Google ads on Korean site listing download links for LOLA.
Google ad on Korean forum with download links
Russian website featuring Google ads and download link for "And Then Came Lola"
Google AdSense ad on stream of And Then Came Lola.