Google must do more to stop piracy, says UK IP advisor

Google “must do more” to help combat piracy in the UK, according to a new report by British MP and intellectual property adviser to Prime Minister, Mike Weatherley.

The conservative MP for Hove and Portslade said that as the main search provider in the UK, Google should take the lead in “setting responsible industry standards for search” in order to help cut down on online piracy – which is estimated to cost the music and film industries £400 million per year in lost revenue.

Weatherley said Google has already incorporated some measures into its privacy policy, and praised the firm for engaging with the report.

However, he notes that the IFPI, RIAA and the BPI have all “asserted a view that Google has failed to meet the commitments set out in its public announcement in August 2012 that it would demote sites in search listings if it receives a certain number of valid copyright notices.”