No, SoundCloud didn’t remove a silent track for violating copyright
On November 22nd, DJ Detweiler posted a screenshot of a message from SoundCloud that said his track, "John Cage - 4'33 (DJ DETWEILER REMIX)," had been removed because it appeared to contain copyrighted content. The joke here is that the original "4'33"" is completely silent and a remix would supposedly be just as soundless. Detweiler shared the image with the caption, "MADE A NEW REMIX TODAY, SOMEHOW THIS HAPPENED," and he tagged a handful of music publications. The story was picked up online with headlines decrying SoundCloud's over-reach of copyright law and the absurdity of content-protection algorithms.
However, Detweiler's "remix" wasn't silent at all, according to SoundCloud. "The upload referenced in the screenshot was not a track of silence and was taken down because it included Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean' without the rightsholder's permission," the company says.
SoundCloud's full statement reads as follows:
The upload referenced in the screenshot was not a track of silence and was taken down because it included Justin Bieber's What Do You Mean without the rightsholder's permission. The respective user uploaded the track under the title "4'33", which is also the name of John Cage's famous piece of silence but it was not, in fact, silence. We're happy to host any content on the platform as long as it's properly authorized. If we're told that any content has been posted without permission, we need to remove that content in accordance with applicable law.
Detweiler, for his part, has been sharing stories about his "silent track" and laughing about the situation on Twitter. We've reached out to him for comment.
"I AM A JOURNALIST FOR AN INTERNET MAGAZINE" STARTER PACK pic.twitter.com/4nBuhZ3RsV
— dj detweiler (@DeeJayDetweiler) November 30, 2015
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/30/no-soundcloud-didnt-remove-a-silent-track-for-violating-copyri/
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