Apparently, being removed from Yahoo’s index because of a DMCA complaint is a reversible decision.
Earlier, I wrote an article titled Yahoo, The DMCA, And Blackhat Techniques, that took Yahoo to task for their stance concerning DMCA complaints and how this policy can be abused by those who employ blackhat methods in their search marketing.
The story was written based on an article written by Brian Turner of Platinax, who indicated the site had been removed from Yahoo’s index because of a DMCA complaint. While this may have been true when Brian’s article was written (6/26), it appears as if Yahoo has reversed this decision.
A Yahoo site search for Planitax.co.uk shows 11600 pages in the results, with Planitax’s index page leading the way, meaning the site is back in Yahoo’s search index. I’m not sure if Yahoo readmitted Planitax or if their punishment was only temporary. However, Brian’s implication still stands:
If Yahoo will remove a site for a DMCA complaint without giving the “offending” site an opportunity to defend itself, then this policy can easily be exploited for malicious business purposes. What if Linus Torvalds gets really upset with Microsoft’s site and decides to write a DMCA complaint (or vice-versa), will Yahoo remove Microsoft.com from their index without giving them a chance to defend themselves? I would certainly hope not.
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
