Finally, some justice in the Wild West of YouTube copyright claims. Scammers forced to cough up $3.3M is a drop in the ocean compared to the havoc they've wreaked, but it's a start. Let's hope this sets a precedent and not just a one-off feel-good headline. Next step: overhaul the entire copyright ID system so genuine creators don't have to jump through hoops to prove they own their own work. It should be way harder to file copyright claims and actually take down content from Youtube, the amount of power these "copyright holders" have is crazy.
Fix the whole US copyright and trademark system with laws. Minimum $10k fine for abuse of the DMCA. Treat it like the FCC already treats people who fraudulently broadcast other stations call signs, for instance. Get rid of these absurdly long copyright terms disney bribed the government for in the late 90s.
This kind of technical debt in lawmaking is a huge scourge on the USA. Even if you agree with the policy stances of the Republican Party having a completely dysfunctional and incapable legislature has a huge impact on our everyday lives. At this point no law can ever be made or fixed unless people stop voting for clowns.
