Downloader, an Android app for web browsing and file downloads, was abruptly suspended last night from Google Play after developer Elias Saba received another questionable copyright complaint. The app, which combines a browser and downloader, previously faced a similarly vague 3-week suspension in May over alleged piracy concerns. This time, the DMCA takedown notice claims Downloader violates Warner Bros. copyright but provides no proof.
The DMCA complaint, filed by anti-piracy firm MarkScan on behalf of Warner Bros., failed to identify any specific Warner Bros. work being infringed. The notice simplistically states that Downloader allows access to the Warner Bros. website, akin to any web browser. Saba argues that his app contains no illegal content whatsoever. He quickly appealed, but Google rejected it within 24 minutes, failing to conduct even a cursory review.
With over 10 million Android installations globally, developer Saba expressed utter frustration over Google’s lack of effort to validate dubious DMCA complaints. He argues that if merely linking to a website violates copyright law, then all major browsers should face removal too. Saba has filed a counter-notice to fight the suspension, but it shows how Google readily caves to corporate copyright claims. He hopes public pressure may lead to a reform of Google’s opaque, developer-unfriendly process.
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