Controversy as Google Ads Appear on IsoHunt
Written by enigmax on January 21, 2009IsoHunt is one of the world’s largest BitTorrent sites. For quite a while the site has been displaying Google ads through Ask.com. Today there is controversy, as several large companies found out that their ads have been appearing on IsoHunt. Among them, Sony BMG, artist sponsor StatoilHydro and Norwegian online media store Platekompaniet.
According to a report in the Norwegian press today, some companies have reacted uncomfortably to the news that their Google Adwords text ads have been appearing on IsoHunt, the world’s third largest BitTorrent site.
Google has a policy of not displaying ads on sites that are involved in or linked to copyright infringement, with many torrent sites previously excluded from the scheme. Of course, some still carry Google ads, purely because Google is unaware of the nature of those sites, but with IsoHunt the situation is different. On IsoHunt the Google ads aren’t directly served by Google, but by Ask.com, a Google AdWords ‘reseller’.
Ask.com, formerly known as Ask Jeeves, works with several other BitTorrent sites. Only on IsoHunt have they displayed search based ads that came from Google AdWords campaigns. They have been doing so for several months, perhaps years, but up until now nobody complained, or knew.
Several companies whose ads appeared on IsoHunt, including online bookseller Bokkilden and search engines Sesam and Kvasir don’t have that much to complain about. However, there are others who are less happy.
Media giant Sony BMG and Norwegian online music store Platekompaniet have both reacted strongly to the news that their ads have appeared on IsoHunt. Artist sponsor StatoilHydro called the situation “regrettable”, adding “We would certainly prefer not contribute to the financing of sites like this.”
In a statement, Jan-Henrik Ohme, head of digital marketing at Sony BMG said “We have stopped the section of the campaign that goes to the third party until Google cleans up the issues. We have contacted Google, and they took immediate action.”
For its part, Google Norway has apologized for the situation, and said that the advertisers should not be held responsible for the placement of the ads, since due to the 3rd party involvement, they had no way of knowing where they would appear. The campaigns are not limited to Norway though, and Ask.com certainly has something to explain to Google.
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37 Responses
What a bunch of idiots. I would be happy if on a pirate site someone would show actual advertisement for my products. This way at least there is the slightest chance that someone might actually buy something. If you keep your ads from going to the places where people break the law how will you get them back to buy your products? Stupidity is the new smart. O_O
haha a classic case of irony!
http://www.fetchmp3.com
isohunt making more money than the industries, the money grabbing fuckers, freedom of information, just click this link now!
Pwned.
I guess this is what is also politely known as EPIC FAIL!! Lol, talk about irony!
http://stuckinframes.blogspot.com
ISOhunt is in a few lawsuits if i am not mistaken… totally funny if they are using the industries money to fight back ;))
Yo Sony, check up "irony" at dictionary.com :p
Cheers!
http://www.eZee.se
I fucking lol'ed
advertise fail.
+1
My thoughts exactly… Why not just advertise legit content on BT sites. Statistically, there would be at least SOME conversions (lol, statistics ftw), which is definitely better than NONE. Oh, but then the MAFIAA would have to go soft on these trackers, coz they would be their new advertising medium, and that's not much likely to happen.
Indeed, the best way to deal with the MAFIAA is to get rid of them completely. In addition to being idiots, they have also committed tons of greivious wrong against us, and we cannot forget, we cannot forgive. We must have REVENGE. Even if they get any smarter, why should we pardon them for all the horrible things that they have done? They simply must go down, and that is the only way.
Your weird.
BUT since it was by Sony wouldnt it be like stuff that you can DOWNLOAD? soo it would be like advertising more shit to download
"Google has a policy of not displaying ads on sites that are involved in or linked to copyright infringement"
Google must then remove its own adds from its own site. It's easy enough to link to copyright infringement either via .torrent searches, or past accusations about its own news blurbs
"You're"
Indeed, I mean, you might as well remove ads from the entire internet.
Maybe he was referring to Mystia's weird…
=]
Adblock Plus ftw!
I have no idea what ads a site runs… and I like it that way.
i⋅ro⋅ny
1 /?a?r?ni, ?a??r-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -nies.
1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
Me thanke u 4 explaneation, me no speke da englush
This deserves a medal as an EPIC FAIL i piss on sony mgn
That's the most stupidiest and common pirate's stand? By advertising products on a pirate site gives pirates a motivation to leech them from there.
I've always said it's pointless to argue with middle class people – they are stupid enough to even want to understand marketing costs that the – as you like to call it – mafia has to go through with. Yes, i work at one of these companies, and no – we aren't celebrating anything here. We don't have cool cars (even our boss drives with an 4 years old E-Class Mercedes, that he bought this year for a cheap price).
Economic crisis is a serious thing for us at the moment. We're losing lots and lots of money. The industry's strongest period was mid-late 90s. Thanks to the fact warezing was reasonably low
friendly advice: get a job in real industry
Anyone who says fail or epic fail is a twat.
StatoilHydro is partially owned by the Norwegian government and therefore the people, which will mean that all of us Norwegians are currently supporting IsoHunt.
..
Wohoo!
But StatoilHydro is mainly a oil & gas company, not an artist sponsor in particular. That's something they've been forced to by the government.
And Platekompaniet is just a record store. A quite successful one with reasonable prices imo. Worse for Sony BMG though, they've just supported the opposition.
“We would certainly prefer not contribute to the financing of sites like this.”
You don't want to finance search engines? Stop using google…
same here.
Firefox + Adblock Plus = the best internet experience you can get. Period.
First off use the POST REPLY button placed under EVERY SINGLE comment.
Second, by saying you 'work at one of these companies' says nothing, the ladder is so high and so wide you could be anywhere making any amount.
The economic crisis is a serious thing indeed, but it still doesn't change the fact that the industry you work for is standing still. Warezing has nothing to do with why your industry isnt doing as good.. its because you idiots are not doing anything except trying to stop innovation to preserve your ill gotten riches.
Get one thing straight troll, we are here to cut your job. Thats right, we want to wipe your company off the face of the earth, and we will win.
Start making a resume.
can they be a epic twat?
I've always said it's pointless to argue with middle class people
You think that you are above everyone else, eh?
You sound like a FUCKING PRICK "I've always said it's pointless to argue with middle class people – they are stupid " Fuck you , your the reason your loosing money and hopefully your job, its the music industrys lack of willingness to advance with the internet that has created these problems
As for your boss having to drive a 4 year old E class Mercedes. BOOHOO i feel so bad that he couldnt afford that new ferrari he wanted because i downloaded some content. HONEST.
Well, the vast majority of people misunderstand what ironic means (I'm still unsure myself, even with a definition, so I never use the word). That song by Alanis Morissette doesn't help either.
"It's pointless to argue with middle class people…"
If you are at one of these companies and your are so low on the ladder that your boss is driving an aging Mercedes, you apparently are lower class. I guess lower class people like yourself are a little jealous of the middle and upper class which is why your pathetic attempt at an insult proves to be quite transparent. Your loss.
Also yes, the industry's strongest period was the mid-late 90's. That was a point when most people finally were replacing vinyl and cassette collections with compact discs, and that was also a point where labels were signing much better acts than in current times.
Don't forget the Adblock Plus Element Hider for those tricky area's that refuse to go away (for example those single line text adverts and spam recipes above your inbox folder in Gmail).
Shockingly ignorant. If your business model fails you deserve to go under. It has nothing to do with class.
And a 4yr old E-Class Merc isn't cool? No you're right there, but then whoever said advertisers were cool? You are hanging with a sorely uncool crowd.
You just said both =)
I really wish they'd try to sue Google just so there would be a chance of some of this linking nonsense to go away (since Google has a *real* legal team)
that one is pretty crazy…
http://musikmaniacs.blogspot.com
If these compaines do not like where there adverts go the do advertize. Simple
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