We’ve all experienced the astonishing absurdity of how YouTube and other New Boss tech companies interpret the DMCA notice and takedown debacle.  (Or as my friend Rick Carnes would say, “notice and shakedown.”)  What was once a safety valve to offer reasonable protection to ISPs from users sending infringing files by email has turned into a “catch me if you can” business model based on misuse of the very same law by people who know exactly what they are doing.  No independent artist can afford to monitor the Internet–or even YouTube–24/7, but that’s what the New Boss wants everyone to believe the law requires.

How can Congress ever have intended that one company–Google–receive over 80 MILLION DMCA notices in ONE MONTH and FOR SEARCH ONLY (not including YouTube, Blogger or any other Google property)?

The Copyright Office is giving us a chance to tell them what we think about the DMCA and how it’s working out for us.  Most of the time these comments only get filed by big companies, but you have the chance to be heard on this issue, too.  You can email your comments using the comment form at https://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=COLC-2015-0013-0002 or if that doesn’t work email to Karyn Temple Claggett, Director of the Office of Policy and International Affairs and Associate Register of Copyrights, by email at kacl@loc.gov.  (Don’t get confused by the “Extension of Comment Period” language you’ll see on the link, this is the correct one.)

I will be filing comments, too, and will post when I file them.

THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 1 AT 11:59 PM ET.  That’s TOMORROW NIGHT!

We all really appreciate the way Trichordist readers have stepped up on these public comments in the past, and it’s really vitally important that they hear from somebody besides the lobbyists and the New Boss.  Thank you guys so much for all you do to support artist rights!