14 DAY TRIAL // Enough is enough, said WordPress after it received a false DMCA takedown notice that affected one of its users.
Automattic, the company behind the world’s most popular blogging platform, has been receiving more and more takedown notices over the past few years.
As with any other company out there, most of these requests are perfectly legitimate, seeking to put a stop to access to copyright infringing content. However, just as is the case with all these requests, there are plenty of false ones, abusing the rules and wasting the time of those who have to analyze the demands, TorrentFreak reports.
Now, Automattic is seeking to make one of these trolls pay for the damage it had done to the company and to the person the DMCA was targeting, asking for $10,000.
Back in November, WordPress teamed up with Oliver Hotham, a student journalist who had an article he wrote censored by the blogging platform under a false takedown notice. Hotham wrote about “Straight Pride UK” which included an official statement coming from the organization about their views and beliefs.
The freelance journalist mentioned his position and the word “article” on several occasions, clearly indicating that he was going to publish a piece on the organization.
After it was published, “Straight Pride UK” suddenly discovered that it didn’t really like what Hotham wrote about them and asked him to take down the article, saying that it was an infringement on copyright since the journalist used its statement.
After refusing to do so, WordPress caved in and took down the material. It wasn’t long after the company and the journalist teamed up to fight such abuse, most likely seeking to set a precedent in court that would help deter others from making false claims.
“The information in the press release that Hotham published on his blog did not infringe any copyright because Hotham had permission to publish it. It was a press release, which by its very nature conveys the intent to ‘release’ information to the ‘press’,” said WordPress in court.
The company explained the difficult position it found itself in if it didn’t take down the content it was requested to. WordPress also referred to Nick Steiner, the press officer for the Straight Pride UK, saying that he pressured the company into complying.
Furthermore, he wasn’t trying to protect any copyright he had on content, but rather to censor a critical opinion about the organization he represented.
Since it complied, WordPress’s reputation suffered as it was accused of censorship. WordPress and Hotham are asking for $10,000 (€7,400) in damages and another $14,520 (€10,740) in attorney’s fees.