Murdoch accuses Google of piracy

Rupert Murdoch has accused Google of being a “piracy leader” for allowing illegal video content to be found via its search engine.

Murdoch used Twitter to claim that Google “streams movies free” and sells adverts around them, while blocking “many other undesirable things”. He claimed to have used Google to search for the Mission Impossible movie, about which he Tweeted, “Wow, several sites offering free links. I rest my case”.

Murdoch’s comments came in response to the White House opposing parts of the proposed Stop Piracy Act (Sopa), which, if passed, would allow the US government and content owners to shut down websites involved in piracy. The White House said that, while online piracy required legislative measures, it must not “inhibit innovation”. Murdoch responded to the statement by Tweeting, “So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery.”

Some opponents of Sopa are planning an internet blackout tomorrow, including Wikipedia, which said, “If passed, this legislation will harm the free and open internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States.”