Content owners: why excessive use of section 512 takedown notices to protect your content is dangerous

If you want to use audio or video clips in your podcast, read from your favorite book or play your favorite song, you probably don't want to demand excessive protection for your own content in the way many traditional content companies are currently doing.

The truth is that sites that provide space for an exchange of ideas and creativity between individuals, like Youtube, Flickr, and Facebook, might begin taking down everything because the time wasted to check each video is money lost. It is simply much cheaper to just remove content.

SO RESPECT OUR PUBLIC SPACES. If you have a situation where you think your content was taken and put up on a web service like Youtube, Myspace, OurMedia, etc, remember to ask for a reasonable response, because you may find yourself on the other side, facing a takedown of your own content because of excessive rights enforcement in the future.

In fact, excessive use of takedown notices is a step backwards in the grassroots culture revolution, because it gives the content companies exactly want, a culture that requires a corporation and a slew of lawyers at every turn.

Now check out our Action Guide if you've received a DMCA Section 512 takedown notice.