Google has reportedly shut down a number of music blogs over alleged copyright violations.
According to ElectronicBeats, the sites included Pop Tarts, Masala, I Rock Cleveland, To Die By Your Side, It’s a Rap and Living Ears.
“As an example of the Internet being such a grey area, the blogs were notified of infringement even though they were often using official promo tracks from record labels, which they had permission to blog,” wrote Ari Stein of ElctronicBeats.
“Nonetheless, these removals will ring alarm bells right across the Internet and the wider music-downloading world. And, perhaps more significantly, amongst those people stealing and sharing music without any thought of the potential repercussions.”
However, “Gaz” of SputinkMusic noted that the above-mentioned sites had only received notification that their “mass of archives” were wiped from the Internet after it happened – resulting in what some critics refer to as “Musicblogocide 2010.”
Meanwhile, Bill Lipold, owner of I Rock Cleveland, claimed that the content of his website content had contained only legal and authorized material.
“I assure you that everything I’ve posted for the past two years, has either been provided by a promotional company, came directly from the record label, or came directly from the artist,” Lipold said in a statement cited by SputinkMusic.
