Google recently announced that it has changed how it ranks search results in order to account for copyright infringement claims. The move is seen as a big win for large media companies that have been pressuring the search giant to take a stand against piracy.
The newly revised search algorithm specifically takes into account the number of valid copyright removal notices Google receives for any given site. Therefore, sites with high numbers of removal notices will likely appear lower in the search 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 Web site, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed from Spotify,” Amit Singhal, Google’s senior vice president of engineering, stated in a Google blog post.
Of course, even under the new system, Google will not remove any pages from search results until it receives a valid copyright removal notice from the owner. For more information about what to do if your copyright is being infringed online, we encourage you to contact one of our experienced copyright attorneys for a free 30-minute consultation.
At Sheldon Mak & Anderson, we recognize that innovation is your competitive edge - and it needs protection. As a nationally recognized and awarded full-service intellectual property firm with more than two decades of experience, we provide local, regional, national, and international legal services in the following areas: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, IP litigation, international patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, alternative dispute resolution, and green technology.
Contact our knowledgeable intellectual property attorneys today TOLL FREE at 1-855-UR IDEAS (1-855-874-3327) or email us at tri@usip.com to find out how we can provide powerful protection for your unique ideas.
