Google remove SERP results for fake items

I stumbled across a SERP today which I had never seen. At the bottom of the listings it said:

In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.

The Search Query was for “Ugg Boots” and it showed the following under the usual SERP’s

So why did this appear?
Well it gives two clear links for why the information was missing of:

• http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/dmca.html
• http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=11441

The first is a link to Google which talks about “Digital Millennium Copyright Act” it states the following:

Regardless of whether we may be liable for such infringement under local country law or United States law, our response to these notices may include removing or disabling access to material claimed to be the subject of infringing activity and/or terminating subscribers. If we remove or disable access in response to such a notice, we will make a good-faith attempt to contact the owner or administrator of the affected site or content so that he/she may make a counter notification. We may also document notices of alleged infringement upon which we act.

The next link shows you the actual letter added to www.chilleffects.org and quote says the below among other things:

I. Multiple images and/or text that appear on the website at topbootsmart.com are unauthorized reproductions of Deckers’ copyrighted works. Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. §512, we hereby request that you expeditiously remove the website located at topbootsmart.com from your web search results for violations of United States Copyright law.

So the infringing website of “topbootsmart.com” has been removed from the listings under the copyright act. It looks to me like they have been selling the genuine article but do not have authorisation from UGG itself and so they have applied for the listing to be removed.

Impact on the future

This is the first time i have ever seen this and so it does have an impact on affiliate websites or store which sell items which they are not supposed to be selling. (I wonder how ebay would take this.)

So if anyone else has seen results like this let me know.

Something for companies and brands to think about!

This obviously now gives many companies away of getting rid of companies selling their items which are not authorised. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I’ll let you decide.