Linda Ikeji will come back even better, amen! |
Google has finally responded and explained why LIB was shut down!
It all began a few days back when one Mr. Aye Dee, Editor-in-Chief of
United States-based 15Past8 media group, reported Linda Ikeji to
Google, accusing her of copyright infringement.
“Google just notified us that they are removing our copyrighted
content from Linda Ikeji’s website. All the stories and images Linda
Ikeji took from me without permission in the last few days have been
removed from her site by Google. Someone has to say something. It costs
money to get good work done. I spend time getting information from my
sources, as well as analysing and verifying the information. All that
costs money. I don’t mind donating my time for Nigeria’s sake, but for
someone to take my labour and use it for personal profit, no way!” Aye
Dee had tweeted.
Well, read the detailed explanation of Google’s Manager for Communications
and Public Affairs, Anglo-Phone West Africa, Taiwo Kolade-Ogunlade below:
He said Google takes the issue of copyright seriously, adding that
the company belongs to a group of Internet firms that abides by the
provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable
copyright laws.
“To respect the rights of copyright holders, Google clearly spells
out how users of its products and services can get permission to use
someone else’s intellectual property such as text, songs, images and
footages. Google is no respecter of anybody when it came to the issues
of copyright infringement, copyright is a big deal.
“Google as an organisation takes issues of copyright seriously and
belongs to a group of digital companies that respect copyrights.
“Copyright is a big deal and this is why you can’t just go and pick
up another person’s intellectual property or content and lay claim to
its ownership.
“That is why we have copyright guidance. I don’t know if Linda picked
up any content and I don’t know what content is the bone of
contention-neither have I looked into the complaints personally.
“But it is not a case of witch-hunting and has nothing to do with
Linda Ikeji’s personality or anyone else because there is a process, and
irrespective of who you are in the world, that process would apply to
you.
“It has become imperative for online entrepreneurs to respect the
rights of copyright holders noting that the Internet community should be
built on mutual trust and general respect.
“Let’s respect other people’s rights and intellectual property.
Making money off other people’s content without permission is wrong.
Although the Internet is inanimate, it is the content on it that gives
it life. These are the issues.
“Whenever owners of online contents come after you accusing you of
using their content, it is because they have families to feed and
businesses to sustain.
“People should also understand that copyrights does not only apply to
text, but also extends to literary works, images and photographs, music
files and MP3s, movies, movie trailers and videos as well as software,”
Kolade-Ogunlade explained to Punch.