Google: Copyright removal requests spike to 2.5 million per week

Google announced that the number of requests it receives each week to remove links to allegedly infringing websites in its search results has grown ten-fold over the past six months.

The number of copyright removal requests sent to Google has risen to more than 2.5 million per week from 250,000 in six months, Google Legal Director Fred von Lohmann said in a company blog post. He said the number spiked after it launched its copyright removals feature in May. "As policymakers evaluate how effective copyright laws are, they need to consider the collateral impact copyright regulation has on the flow of information online," von Lohmann writes. When asked about the spike in take-down requests, a Google spokesperson said they believe some of the increase is from Google streamlining the process to submit requests, and also due in part to copyright owners using more sophisticated tools to identify piracy and send notices to Google.