Google changes its search formula to address piracy
Google says it will introduce changes to its search engine that will discourage piracy by placing legitimate copyrighted content higher in online queries.
The change was viewed as a concession to movie studios, music labels and television companies that have tried to lobby, cajole and, in some cases, sue Google into helping them shut down online piracy.
This week, the company will begin using algorithms that push potentially pirated material to a lower position in search results, it said in a blog posting on its website.
Entertainment companies have urged Google for years to make pirated content harder to find. The new system will use ”removal notices”, or complaints from entertainment companies, that a website has received in ranking search results, Amit Singhal, the senior vice-president for engineering, said. Hollywood applauded the move.
”We are optimistic that Google’s actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online,” Michael O’Leary, a senior executive vice-president at the Motion Picture Association of America, said.
Lower rankings do not represent a conclusion that copyright has been violated, Mr Singhal wrote. The company received 4.3 million copyright removal notices in the past 30 days, he said.
