Needless to say, this process is far from flawless. In the past we’ve covered countless false, inaccurate, and just plain hilarious DMCA claims, but YouTube’s takedown process is particularly problematic.

As we have noted previously, YouTube copyright claims are in a class of their own, thanks to a one-sided notification system that has no evidentiary requirement. Nowhere was this more apparent than the Mega song takedown of late 2011, but it’s a constant problem.

The main issue is that automated bots don’t (or rather can’t) understand fair use, although to be fair, it’s an area of copyright law most labels seem to want to ignore when it suits them, and one that won’t be fixed until Lenz v Universal finishes its slow trip through the courts.

But in the meantime, many artists are still stuck dealing with systems that ignore significant sections of copyright law in order to keep things under lock and key, artists like Dan Bull for example.

Dan, as regular TorrentFreak readers will know, is an artist that relies heavily on fair use to create his music, and he recently gave fans an idea of just how much of a pain it can be.

For his 2010 [NSFW] song “I’m not pissed”, he reveals a screen-grab showing 18 separate claims that have been made against it. While some of them were released after being disputed, two of them, BMG Rights Management and PRS, rejected the dispute and stand by their initial claim.

“It is up to me to prove myself innocent by asking eighteen different publishing companies through an automated system to revoke the automated claims. Each publisher has a month to reply, with no obligation to even do so. If even one of the eighteen publishers says ‘nope’ then it’s back to square one,” Bull explains.

“Any financial loss or restrictions on my channel are entirely on me, and will not be compensated for once the claim is lifted. This has been going on since last year with no end in sight,” he adds.

It’s a situation that discourages new artists and stifles creativity. Despite the claims of the major labels, and until some actual consequences are introduced for false, inaccurate, or over-reaching claims, it’s going to harm the greater creative world, just to enable the big guys to profit.

Meanwhile, Dan has expressed his ire at YouTube in the way he knows best, through [again NSFW] song.

And yes, he’s pissed now.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

After Bull responded to a “ridiculous” lawsuit brought by rapper Lord Finesse against his colleague Mac Miller, the critical response was censored from YouTube on copyright grounds. Interestingly enough, plenty of other Lord Finesse copyrighted content on YouTube was not censored, suggesting the takedown was political.

Needless to say, this has made Dan Bull even more angry than before.

“I have fought ACTA, SOPA, DEA and various other forms of censorship in the name of copyright. I will not be silenced by this kind of abuse of the copyright system. The DMCA is not supposed to be used in this way,” he writes.

In the video below Bull explains in detail how ridiculous the situation is.

This is not the first time YouTube’s takedown procedure has been (ab)used as a censorship tool. The same happened December last year when Megaupload’s “Mega Song” was taken down by Universal Music Group (UMG). This prompted Megaupload to sue UMG.

Bull doesn’t know whether he will respond legally, but he is encouraging people to bring attention to the situation.

“I still need to decide what route I will take in challenging this action further, but I want you all to be aware of what has happened. Please like and share this video. If you are a content creator yourself, read up on fair use and fair dealing so that you are able to defend your own rights should this kind of thing happen to you,” Bull writes.

The irony of it all is that Lord Finesse has yet to learn the finesses of the Internet. When you try to censor something online on dubious grounds, this often results in the opposite effect.

After Bull’s video was censored, many copies were quickly uploaded to YouTube and other video sharing sites. A perfect example of the Streisand Effect.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

With a song titled “Sharing is Caring,” Bull is not exactly the type of artist music execs want to see in there. And that is exactly the point.

Dan Bull has no corporate promotion machine behind him. He has virtually no radio play and his music can’t be bought in bricks-and-mortar music stores. Instead, Bull is a self-confessed ‘pirate’ who relies on a crowd of like-minded people to earn a living.

“Sites such as The Pirate Bay do more to help unsigned artists than industry lobbyists ever have. Projects like The Promo Bay, which devotes The Pirate Bay’s home page, free of charge, to any musician who applies, creates overnight success stories,” Bull explained.

So instead of signing away his rights to a major music label, Bull is sharing his work with the public for free. That has worked well for the rapper thus far, but to show just how powerful the Internet can be he’s now aiming for a listing in the international singles charts. Not for the recognition, but to make a statement.

“The singles charts are worthless as an indicator of quality, and artists needn’t strive for the validation of reaching them. However, by taking a free song by an unsigned artist to the echelons normally reserved for the industry elite, I want to smash the glass ceiling and show that there is another way of doing things,” Bull said.

“We don’t need the protection of ACTA, CISPA or any other acronym. As long as our internet is free, creativity will thrive.”

And with a healthy boost from The Pirate Bay earlier this week this plan might just succeed.

After Bull introduced the goal here on TorrentFreak last Sunday, singles sales took off. When The Pirate Bay joined in a few hours later with a front page promotion, they skyrocketed. By Monday morning several versions of the “Sharing is Caring” single were on Amazon’s top 10 bestseller list.

Bull decided to release 10 different versions of the track because every individual download counts towards the eventual chart position of the single. In other words, the more versions people buy the higher “Sharing is Caring” will end up in the single charts.

After the initial boom the sales are now going on steadily. In the UK the most popular version of the single is currently listed at #75, with 4 others listed in the top 100 as well. In the rap category 8 versions are listed in the top 17, and in the Reggae chart “Sharing is Caring” is topping the chart.

While the above stats are encouraging, there is still some work to be done before the official single charts are released this weekend. Since the Pirate Bay promo campaign has now ended, it is now up to the public to spread the message further.

Help is still needed.

“The campaign has been going really well, although it’s much harder than I imagined to compete with the big-budget campaigns behind people like Jay-Z and Calvin Harris. I need absolutely everyone who can to contribute in order to get a place in the ‘official’ charts,” Bull told TorrentFreak.

To encourage people to buy all 10 versions of the single, Bull is going to thank all mass-buyers in an upcoming music video.

Those who want to help out can go to the campaign page where all the paid versions of the tracks are listed. Please don’t feel obliged to do so, but if “Sharing is Caring” doesn’t appear in the single charts this weekend we’ll have to blame all the cheapskate pirates, and declare an official victory for the major music labels. Sort of.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Sharing Is Caring

Yesterday a young lad asked me, “Dan Bull in the charts? Is this a ‘fuck off’ to the record industry then?”

Good question, I thought. What do I really want to say to the entertainment industry?

When I released my first album “Safe” in 2009, I sent it to record companies and radio stations but they ignored it. When I telephoned Q magazine with a story, they told me they couldn’t write about it because they only feature artists with record deals.

In frustration at the glass ceiling that independent artists face, I started to publish protest songs on YouTube. To my surprise, they got much more coverage. I was excited, but thought “What if the labels see my tracks? They’ll never sign me now!”.

At that point, I realised something; if they didn’t want me, then the feeling was mutual. I didn’t need a record label telling me what to do, how to do it, and then keeping 80% of the takings for the privilege. I had the internet and I had my brain.

By embracing the free flow of information the internet allows, through filesharing and social media, I’ve found a worldwide fanbase without leaving the house. I’ve collaborated with artists across the globe without ever meeting them, and I can chat to my supporters whilst lying in bed eating pizza.

None of that would have been possible without file-sharing. If I followed the copyright law that lobbyists like the RIAA and the BPI insist is in the interest of artists like me, I would have no musical career. If pro-filesharing sites like TorrentFreak and The Pirate Bay didn’t share my work with you, you wouldn’t be reading this. I owe a debt of gratitude to every person that has ripped, burned, copied and shared anything I’ve done.

Sites such as The Pirate Bay do more to help unsigned artists than industry lobbyists ever have. Projects like The Promo Bay, which devotes The Pirate Bay’s home page, free of charge, to any musician who applies, creates overnight success stories.

The Pirate Bay stands defiantly in the face of corporate bullies who tout such nonsensical non-sequiters as “if you copy files, artists don’t get money, and if artists don’t get any money, they will stop making art.” This is an insult to the millions of dedicated amateur artists around the world.

What’s funny is that I’d have more respect for major labels if they just admitted what we already know – their bottom line is nothing but profit. There’s nothing wrong with that; there’s no need to hide it. But there is a need to play fair.

Entertainment lobbyists want to have their cake and eat it – they accumulated massive wealth through exploiting a free market when the means to distribute recorded art was scarce. This scarcity no longer exists – the market has moved on; and now they’re fighting to enforce artificial measures which will recreate those fleeting economic and technological conditions which allowed them to flourish.

Art has always been about sharing, adapting, and re-interpreting what you experience. Our children deserve to grow up in a world where they can enjoy this freedom without the fear that a pack of corporate lawyers will circle in and extradite them overseas.

People born in the late 80s have now lived more of their lives in the 21st century than the 20th century. A new generation has arrived for whom sharing information online is as easy and reflexive as breathing.

This generation isn’t going away; it’s growing larger all the time and to them, defunct business models developed by greying monopolists are utterly irrelevant. But these kids aren’t freeloaders or criminal masterminds, they are normal, decent people. When they hear a song or see a video that they like, they’ll post it to Facebook; they’ll Tweet it. They might remix it, or poke fun at it. This very behaviour which big entertainment claims to be the death knell of creativity, is the same behaviour that I believe will make my single a success.

“Sharing Is Caring” is a satire on this age of instant communication. It’s about what happens when things go wrong, and whether we are using the power of online communication to its full potential. Hidden somewhere in the track you can hear me urinating on a printout of the Digital Economy Act.

There are three main versions of the song – each about a different social network (Facebook, Twitter and Google+). There’s also a dubstep remix by Benny Aves and a reggae-tinged reworking by Animal Circus. I’ve also provided instrumentals and acapellas for you to remix and re-imagine at will.

I invite you to download “Sharing Is Caring” for free. If you like it, and want to support the campaign, you can choose to buy it. Each version you buy will count as a sale towards the charts. There are ten versions in all, meaning a single person can create ten sales towards the charts.

The singles charts are worthless as an indicator of quality, and artists needn’t strive for the validation of reaching them. However, by taking a free song by an unsigned artist to the echelons normally reserved for the industry elite, I want to smash the glass ceiling and show that there is another way of doing things. We don’t need the protection of ACTA, CISPA or any other acronym. As long as our internet is free, creativity will thrive.

And so, to answer the original question – I’m not shouting “fuck off” to the entertainment industry.

I’m saying “excuse me, but I think you’re in my seat”.

Links to the torrent or paid version of “Sharing Is Caring” are available here.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

This ruling means that it’s almost inevitable that the UK’s major Internet service providers will be compelled to block The Pirate Bay in the coming months to serve the members of the music lobby group BPI.

While there can be no doubt that some users of The Pirate Bay are indeed engaging in copyright infringement, for others the site is their gateway to the world, the mechanism by which their own work can be distributed – for free – to the masses.

A block of The Pirate Bay will not discriminate – all content will be blocked, infringing or not, and artists relying on the site to reach their fans will be unjustly penalized.

Just hours ago and after working throughout the night, UK artist Dan Bull finished his latest track which was inspired by the recent TPB ruling.

“The BPI claim to represent the interests of musicians like myself and the people in my video, but the fact is that only the very elite few at the top of the music business will see a benefit. The rest of us are having our internet censored and are being ushered into an age of guilt until innocence is proven,” Dan told TorrentFreak.

“The tech sector is being damaged in order to prop up a comparatively tiny and irrelevant industry which the vast majority of musicians have absolutely no need for.”

So without further delay, here’s Dan’s musical message. ‘Bye Bye BPI’ is the follow-up to the hugely successful track SOPA Cabana which has been viewed nearly 1.3 million times. Both songs were created with material crowdsourced via Dan’s Facebook page.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

His solo, label-less productions have amassed nearly 6 million views and in the last month alone (on the gaming topics of Assassins Creed, Skyrim and the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V) have been viewed more than 2 million times.

Following on from his 2010 track “Death of ACTA“, today Dan releases his second track targeting copyright legislation, this time homing in on the pending SOPA bill in the United States.

“As an internet geek, a musician, and a non-evil person, SOPA is abhorrent on several fronts,” Dan told TorrentFreak. “It threatens the future of the internet, which is something far more valuable both commercially and socially than the entertainment industry ever has been, or ever will be.”

Dan recognizes that everything we do is influenced by something else, and richer cultural landscapes can be achieved through remixes, mashups and sharing.

“Creativity is all about interpreting and re-imagining what you see and hear around you. The idea that creativity exists in some kind of vacuum, and that you’re not a real artist unless you can make something ‘completely original’ is not only stupid, it contradicts the most fundamental axioms of how the universe works,” he adds.

“Thirdly, the internet is an amazing new forum for free speech and holding those in power to account. The idea that governments and even private corporations can police the internet and decide what people on a global scale are allowed to say and hear is tyrannical.”

In his new track (titled ‘SOPA Cabana’) the story is told from the perspective of an old man in a post-SOPA future, looking back fondly at the days when the internet was free. The song comes complete with a crowd-sourced video and input from Dan’s fans who join with him in opposing SOPA.

“After I finished writing the song, I put a post on my Facebook wall asking people to take photographs of themselves presenting lines from the song. The response was phenomenal, and I ended up with far more volunteers than I could include in the video,” Dan told TorrentFreak.

“People from all around the world wanted to share in the creative process, for free, and to me that demonstrates the best of what the Internet is about. I hope it comes across as a great example of precisely what SOPA will destroy – free speech, free culture and a free internet,” Dan concludes.

Enjoy the track.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

After Lily Allen stirred up a file-sharing hornet’s nest with her anti-piracy rhetoric, Dan put together ‘Dear Lily‘. This open letter received several hundred thousand views on YouTube alone and a month later Dan followed it up with a dressing down of Peter Mandelson over the Digital Economy Act.

In recognition of his ability to connect with an audience, Midlands-based Dan was soon commissioned by ISP TalkTalk to create a track to protest against the proposed disconnection of file-sharers.

Now, just over 6 months later he’s back again with a brand new track. ACTA is in the spotlight this time and as usual, Dan takes his subject matter apart with insightful and often biting lyrics delivered with expert clarity and timing.

But before we get our first taste of the track D.O.A.C.T.A (Death of ACTA) with its accompanying video, here is Dan with some thoughts on the Treaty.

TF: What are your feelings on how ACTA has developed and where it appears to be going?

Dan: ACTA is being worked on behind closed doors, in a totally undemocratic fashion. What we’ve seen so far is very worrying though. It’s clearly been put together by people who don’t know or care how the internet works. Not only that, but it means that you can be punished for a newly created crime without any evidence that you’ve committed it. Just an accusation from an industry lawyer is enough – and we’ve already seen with ACS Law how irresponsible and inaccurate they are. Do we really want companies like ACS Law given the power of judge, jury and executioner?

However, it’s not too late to contact your representatives in government – start putting the pressure on and let them know this kind of secret, unelected and irresponsible policy making is unacceptable.

TF: Do you think that ACTA will actually change anything?

Dan: It’s not going to change things in the way it’s meant to. Filesharing and piracy will carry on as before – the law is always one step behind technology. The only thing ACTA will do is stifle innovation and communication. How could sites like YouTube and Flickr exist if the owners of those sites are held liable for everything their users upload? It’s like saying that Bic is responsible if someone writes a death threat using one of their pens. It’s a load of bollocks.

The funny thing is that the entertainment industry is only a fraction of the size of the technology and communications industry. Yet this tiny sector is managing to force through ridiculously backward protectionist laws that make things harder for everyone else except themselves.

TF: How do you feel that the people will respond to ACTA’s introduction?

Dan: I can’t imagine there are many people outside the entertainment industry who support it. In fact I’m surprised the technology sector hasn’t rallied together to fight against it. People who don’t know the facts about it should be told, and people who know the facts should be gravely concerned.

TF: Do you think that legislation has the ability to mould and control people’s behavior and creativity?

Dan: Yes, but only in useless ways. Filesharers won’t be swayed, they’ll just find other ways to carry on doing what they were doing before. ACTA is going to damage creativity though – pretty much all creative work is derivative of previous work, so by criminalising copyright infringement, ACTA will bring us into a ridiculous situation where all artists are criminals. Even walking to work whilst whistling a tune you heard on the radio is technically an unauthorised performance of a copyrighted work, and once ACTA is in place, it’s a crime you could theoretically go to prison for.

TF: Tell us a little about the video that accompanies the song.

Dan: The video was filmed at The Golden Hinde in London, which is a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship. My friend Russ Houghton came up with the pirate ship concept, and also produced and directed the video, with the help of a couple of his colleagues, who work in television. Thanks very much to them for helping out.

TF: Cheers for chatting with us Dan, keep up the good work.

The MP3 of D.O.A.C.T.A can be downloaded here and you can follow Dan on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Beer money gratefully accepted here, along with any spare Flattrs.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Lord Mandelson, or ‘Mandy’ to those speaking of him affectionately, has truly set the cat among the pigeons with his Digital Economy Bill, pleasing almost no-one apart from Big Music and Big Movies, and alienating everyone from most of the ISPs in the country through to millions of Internet users.

In protest, ISP TalkTalk is running the Don’t Disconnect Us campaign, which is gathering great momentum after being endorsed by Stephen Fry earlier this week, and hopefully will receive yet another boost with the help of some catchy music and cutting lyrics.

Yes, just when you thought it was safe after ‘Dear Lily’ – musician Dan Bull is back, this time with a new track – ‘Dear Mandy’.

“I’ve just recorded and uploaded a new video, aimed at Peter Mandelson, and getting people to sign the petition against his three strikes bill,” Dan told TorrentFreak.

“The most worrying part of the Bill is that Mandy has given himself the power to create new legislation as he pleases, meaning he can pretty much do whatever he wants to people he suspects of copyright infringement,” added Dan, echoing the autocracy fears outlined by the Liberal Democrats last week.

“This is one of the most serious threats to privacy and presumption of innocence in the UK for a long time. I would urge people who are concerned about this to contact their MPs, and sign the petition, Dan concluded.

Here is Dan’s great new track – ‘Dear Mandy’ – and UK citizens, don’t forget to sign the petition!

Readers interested in hearing more about Dan can jump over to our side-blog over at FreakBits where we have published an interview.

Dan’s MySpace page can be found here and his album ‘Safe’ is available from FreshNut but can also be downloaded digitally from iTunes, Amazon, Napster and all good file-sharing networks.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Lily has managed to capture the imaginations of both sides – people are talking about this issue and that is always a good thing.

Debate, discussion and hopefully understanding will bring this file-sharing ‘war’ to an end one day but in the meantime let’s not forget what this is ultimately all about – the music. We all love it and that’s why you’ll love this too;

“After Lily’s hectic week I’ve made a pro-filesharing song and video calling her up on a few of the claims she’s made,” UK musician Dan Bull explains to TorrentFreak.

“I’ve also tried to outline some of the main moral arguments for filesharing in the lyrics. Hope you enjoy, and hope the readers do too.”

The song is brilliant in my opinion, and, ironically I suppose, i’d like to give Dan some money for his work, he deserves it. Let’s hope this song gets to Internet #1 this weekend and he reaps the benefit. Now if I can just get the chorus out of my head…..

…or if you prefer, download the MP3 here.

Dan’s MySpace page can be found here and his album ‘Safe’ is available from FreshNut but can also be downloaded digitally from iTunes, Amazon and Napster.

You can grab it free of charge here or using Mininova.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.