IMSLP, the most vital repository on the net for public domain scores, got attacked by the UK Music Publishers' Association yesterday. Apparently the MPA sent a false DMCA takedown notice to IMSLP's registrar, GoDaddy, who (being GoDaddy) just took the domain off the net. IMSLP undertakes heroic measures to guard against copyright infringement, and are very easy to work with should something slip through, so this was perhaps the the fault of an intern or flunky. To their credit, the MPA halted the attack within a day (if only for their own self-protection), and IMSLP is back online. Nevertheless it's amusing to read the thread on the IMSLP forum where Jake Kirmer, the guy at the MPA who signed perjurous letter, tries and fails to get the evidence removed from the net.
It seems like a story with a happy ending, but still a good reminder of the importance and difficulty of defending the public domain. I donated $20 towards IMSLP, something that I hadn't bothered doing before. It's also a reminder to not work with GoDaddy - not only do they screw over their customers (this is not the first time for them) they also have a CEO who hunts elephants for fun, and is proud to publicize that. I have some sites registered on GoDaddy, I should really move them elsewhere. IMSLP administrators are no doubt thinking about the same thing right now.
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