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Google launches new copyright reports; Microsoft leads takedown requests

Google launches new copyright reports; Microsoft leads takedown requests

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Google has expanded its Transparency Report with a new copyright section that provides more detailed information on content removal requests.

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Google has expanded its Transparency Report with a new copyright section that provides more detailed information on content removal requests. In a new blog post describing the update, Google says that "as policymakers and internet users around the world consider the pros and cons of different proposals to address the problem of online copyright infringement, we hope this data will contribute to the discussion." The new section offers data from July 2011 forward, and shows that takedown requests have increased substantially over time — with Google now receiving more than 250,000 requests per week. Google has already been providing takedown information to the non-profit group Chilling Effects since 2002, but its new copyright report provides the data in a clearer and more accessible layout.

While the data is predictable in some areas — with groups like the RIAA, BPI, Sony, and Paramount among the top organizations submitting requests — it turns out that the biggest copyright watchdog is Microsoft. The maker of Windows operating systems issued removal requests for 543,378 URLs in the past month alone, which is more than the next 20 organizations that submitted the most requests combined.