Google broke my heart

Legal and DMCA Issues

• Debate over whether Google’s role as a search index (linking, not hosting) gives standing to sue or affects DMCA safe-harbor; some say ignoring a proper notice risks liability, others say “hosting a link” isn’t infringement.
• Several argue that under DMCA, once a compliant notice is received, a provider must act or risk losing safe harbor, regardless of scale or convenience.
• Others counter that rampant false and abusive takedowns justify Google demanding stronger proof of authorship and that copyright ownership often can only be definitively resolved in court.

Verification, Scale, and Process Failures

• Many think the core problem is not that Google asked for proof, but that it refused to specify what proof would be accepted, then stopped engaging; this is described as Kafkaesque.
• Some suspect automated or LLM-driven support, with low-paid or offshore staff just clicking through scripts.
• The “doesn’t scale” defense is heavily criticized: commenters argue Google can afford human review, must comply with the law regardless of volume, and shouldn’t hide behind scale.
• Others note that every large-scale system must accept some false positives/negatives, and copyright ownership is genuinely hard to determine, especially with fraud and name collisions.

Views on Copyright and Piracy

• Thread splits between those emphasizing authors’ right to be paid and those who believe traditional copyright is broken or should be abolished, especially for digital goods with near-zero marginal cost.
• Some advocate free distribution with revenue via services, performances, or patronage; others insist this dismisses the livelihoods of indie authors and developers.
• Concerns about overbroad, “vibe-based” infringement standards and the impossibility of due diligence at scale, especially in an AI era.

Corporate Behavior and Google’s Evolution

• Widespread sentiment that Google has shifted from “helpful” to extractive ad monopoly with near-zero support, comparable to other enshittified platforms.
• Many criticize anthropomorphizing Google (“broke my heart”); they frame it as a profit-maximizing machine that will favor large rightsholders and ignore “little people” unless forced legally.

Suggested Remedies and Workarounds

• Common advice: hire an IP lawyer, send certified letters, threaten or pursue litigation (possibly high-stakes federal copyright suits), or involve attorneys general.
• Some suggest practical steps: register copyrights, use publisher contracts as evidence, or cryptographic/notary proof of authorship—though many doubt big platforms will care without legal pressure.