Google Search #FAIL Means More $$$ for Them

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Not to beat a dead horse, but surprise, surprise….I did a Google search this morning to see how easy it would be to find download links for “Kyss Mig,” a recently released Swedish indie film. I used Google to search for “download kyss mig” and….oops, so much for Google’s new search algorithm that’s supposed to penalize (reported) pirate sites. Why am I not surprised that The Pirate Bay result tops the list?

Maybe if I use the less pirate-centric term “watch” instead of “download” I’ll have better luck finding a legit source? Um, well, no, guess that won’t work either. Once again the top search results are sites notorious for linking to pirated films. Even more maddening is what I discovered when I clicked the first link…

Not only did I find the full film streaming (for free) online but right beside was a Netflix advertisement.  BTW I watched the first 10 minutes to double check that it was the actual film and reported it to the film’s distributor so they could have it removed.   When I checked the source of the ad I found it led me back to “doubleclick.net” a Google-owned company. Perhaps this is how Google expects users to find legit copies of the film? After all, Kyss Mig does stream on Netflix….kind of a roundabout way to find the film when I can watch it right here, right now for free! Of course Google makes money from the ad either way (as does the pirate website) so what do they care? Hmmm, perhaps the Google ad placement has something to do with why this pirate site is comes up first in search results? Not to don my tin foil hat but….

I guess I’m going to have to be a good girl and use the search terms “buy Kiss Mig.” Only then am I given results that lead me to legit options.

Update: Since  I notified the distributor that the film was available via this pirate it’s not longer available. Too bad I can’t say the same for the website itself.

Posted in: Blog, Piracy News & Views \ Tagged: , ,

Google changes search ranking algorithm to target pirate websites

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In a move that’s long overdue, Google has announced a change to the search algorithm it uses to “rank” websites listed in search results, lowering the ranking of the most egregious pirate sites.  In a posting on their “Inside Search” blog Amit Singhal explains the move:

We aim to provide a great experience for our users and have developed over 200 signals to ensure our search algorithms deliver the best possible results. Starting next week, we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site. Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results. This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily—whether it’s a song previewed on NPR’s music website, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed from Spotify.

This is good news for content creators everywhere and reflects another positive step on the part of legitimate business to delegitimize those trafficking in stolen goods.  PayPal recently announced it was severing its ties to  various pirate websites and now Google  is revising the way it ranks sites.  Certainly this won’t end piracy, but it will direct the casual consumer to legitimate sites where they can find what they want for a reasonable price and compensate the creator in the process.

With this latest announcement there appears to be hope that we can gradually transform on the online black market that drives today’s piracy into a legitimate one that can offer both consumers and creators the choices they seek.  Consumers can find and access content they want it for a reasonable price, while creators can distribute their work efficiently and economically throughout the world.  It helps level the online playing field–and is a win, win for us all. Many have correctly pointed out that Youtube results aren’t included in their ranking changes despite the fact Youtube undoubtedly receives a huge number of DMCA notices.  While Youtube does offer rights holders a Content Management System as a means to protect and control content, it’s an imperfect and buggy system at best.

Next up on Google’s agenda should be its own house starting with the thousands of Blogger-hosted websites that offer nothing but pirated material (sort of like Filestube.com, but shinier).

Posted in: Piracy News & Views \ Tagged: , , , , , , ,