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Amazon gets away with this because it's practically impossible for small business owners or authors to police their site. It's similar to Google, where they let

Amazon gets away with this because it's practically impossible for small business owners or authors to police their site. It's similar to Google, where they let counterfeits thrive, but real content creators get fake DMCA notices and shut down. I really hate to say this, but large companies like this need to be regulated via laws. There's simply no other choice. Having Amazon throw their hands up and say "There's nothing we can do, we have algorithms" or hiding behind the safe-harbor laws is not acceptable. Having their ability to shut off peoples' incomes or being victimized by counterfeiters, with no human contact and no process, is unacceptable and needs to be changed. They aren't changing fast enough and they don't want to change because it's expensive, and the only solution is to force them via laws, which I'm loathe to support but it's the only way.

WillPostForFood 8y ago
large companies like this need to be regulated via laws They are, and you cited it: the DMCA. You can read it here: https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl105-304.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl105-304.pdf It is mixed bag. One of the effects is that it deters proactive culling of material because once you start doing that, you may become liable for items you miss. It is why we end up up with systems that are driven by external takedown requests.
dnautics 8y ago
Why should large companies be regulated on this specific topic but not small companies? It's equally illegal activity.
- sonnyblarney 8y ago
  In this case, the laws probably need to apply universally. But scale matters. Systems (even economic systems) at scale have different characteristics than those that are not. Just like you'd implement a massive AWS system differently than you would a little, single Ec2 service - regulations would probably be characterized differently given the scale and power of the entities involved. One major difference is risk mitigation: individual consumers may have some power to influence a mom and pop shop, especially one that has a physical retail presence. A negative local news highlight could make a big difference. A single legal grievance could have consequences. There's material risk. At a certain scale, it seems some of these entities simply don't have to worry about fraud, because 'who's gonna do something about it?'. The only public recourse is public institutions.
- blunte 8y ago
  Small companies are already regulated. If a mom and pop store got caught selling counterfeit goods, they would end up in court or shutdown.
BucketSort 8y ago
No, Jeff Bezos needs more money. Don't touch his profits with regulations.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  If you damage his profits we won't benefit from the trickle down. /s
  - BucketSort 8y ago
    Those warehouse workers will not only need piss jugs, but also poop jars now. Damn government and their regulations. Future headline: "Amazon is now the largest purchaser of Depends."

WillPostForFood 8y ago

large companies like this need to be regulated via laws They are, and you cited it: the DMCA. You can read it here: https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl105-304.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl105-304.pdf It is mixed bag. One of the effects is that it deters proactive culling of material because once you start doing that, you may become liable for items you miss. It is why we end up up with systems that are driven by external takedown requests.

dnautics 8y ago

Why should large companies be regulated on this specific topic but not small companies? It's equally illegal activity.

sonnyblarney 8y ago
In this case, the laws probably need to apply universally. But scale matters. Systems (even economic systems) at scale have different characteristics than those that are not. Just like you'd implement a massive AWS system differently than you would a little, single Ec2 service - regulations would probably be characterized differently given the scale and power of the entities involved. One major difference is risk mitigation: individual consumers may have some power to influence a mom and pop shop, especially one that has a physical retail presence. A negative local news highlight could make a big difference. A single legal grievance could have consequences. There's material risk. At a certain scale, it seems some of these entities simply don't have to worry about fraud, because 'who's gonna do something about it?'. The only public recourse is public institutions.
blunte 8y ago
Small companies are already regulated. If a mom and pop store got caught selling counterfeit goods, they would end up in court or shutdown.

BucketSort 8y ago

No, Jeff Bezos needs more money. Don't touch his profits with regulations.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago
If you damage his profits we won't benefit from the trickle down. /s
- BucketSort 8y ago
  Those warehouse workers will not only need piss jugs, but also poop jars now. Damn government and their regulations. Future headline: "Amazon is now the largest purchaser of Depends."