3mo ago

Parody site ClownStrike refused to bow to CrowdStrike’s bogus DMCA takedown

arstechnica.com Parody site ClownStrike refused to bow to CrowdStrike’s bogus DMCA takedown

Parody site ClownStrike defended the "obvious" fair use.

Doesn't CrowdStrike have more important things to do right now than try to take down a parody site?

That's what IT consultant David Senk wondered when CrowdStrike sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice targeting his parody site ClownStrike.

Senk created ClownStrike in the aftermath of the largest IT outage the world has ever seen—which CrowdStrike blamed on a buggy security update that shut down systems and incited prolonged chaos in airports, hospitals, and businesses worldwide....

73 comments

The Streisand effect is an unintended consequence of attempts to hide, remove, or censor information, where the effort instead increases public awareness of the information.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
- Yez 🤡
- Someone is racing Elon in an "any % speed run to completely destroy an established companies credibility."
  
  Elom should buy CrowdStrike, rename it clownstrike, send the DMCA, and then run it into the ground like Twitter.
- Yes and no here. Businesses by and large won't stop using them because of this. And if they succeed, it's a deterrent for others.
  
  We must agree that :
  1-they did want to sensor information
  2-but the information was made more public.
  Now, are you saying that (1) was indeed their intention but also that (2) was intentional. That being quite rich, they will continue to send DMCAs to intimidate anyone. Finally, their main goal wouldn't only be to deter this one action but also similar actions by others, which would be more effective if the DMCA succeeds.
  ... i must agree with you here if this is what you meant.

Sounds like they could use some more sites linking to them to improve SEO. https://clownstrike.lol/
- This. This is why we invented the internet. Well this and porn.
- Full Streisand effect.
- It's blocked on my work computer, saying it's a malware website
  
  "The category of https://clownstrike.lol/ is Phishing
  This site has been reviewed recently. We are not accepting category change requests at this time."
  Fortinet filter lmao
  
  Accessible through my corporate network. Fun thing, that.
- That was a good read with him documenting and sharing everything.
- this is so tame lmao

Using the DMCA as a censorship tool needs to be a criminal offense subject to jail time.
- Why that’s literally what it was designed to do
  
  DMCA was designed to prevent intellectual property infringement, not as a censorship tool.
  
  It is, but this isn't. The DMCA doesn't mention Trademark. That's a separate section of law because copyright and trademark are different things.
  Crowdstrike submitting a DMCA takedown for alleged Trademark infringement isn't how it's supposed to work at all. Likely because they know this isn't actually a Trademark infringement case.
  Cloudflare's automated system not being smart enough to see that is fine. Their abuse/counterclaim process being broken isn't. ( Not that that's new or unique )
- Agreed 100%, it's tactics similar to slapp lawsuits, and either shouldn't be allowed and require jail time when abused

Lmao what a legend. How would DMCA even apply in this case though? Parodies are free speech
- They don't. Companies regularly abuse DMCA notices because the law REQUIRES a hosting company to take down the information immediately.
  It allows 14 days for the same information to be restored after receiving a counter notice.
  
  I think if DMCAs are abused, it should limit the company's ability to file one in the future.
  and if not... regular people could do the same
- I don't see anything on that site that infringes the DMCA. At best they might have a trademark violation claim, but DMCA is only for copyright claims, not trademark claims.
  
  The only real use of trademark I could find was actually on the twitter account clownstrike took a picture of, unless they seriously want to try and tell is they think the name could be confused for theirs with a straight face.

https://clownstrike.lol/crowdmad/
This line:
P.S. Don’t your lawyers have more important shit to be doing right now anyway?
- Yeah but then it would not be a clownstrike...
- !![](https, me^{Play store link: [Sync for Lemmy](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.syncapps.lemmy_sjbjj}v,,huync) ^ was://lemmyc.world/pictrs/image/5e13d9f3-e0f5-415f-bd6a-f24889dgfgd4fa9.gif)!<cme a lde a 1. Device information
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  Es a espera
  
  You may have posted this to the wrong thread :)

I don’t see anything on the parody ClownStrike site that infringes the DMCA. At best, Crowdstrike might have a valid trademark infringement claim, but DMCA is only for copyright infringement claims, not trademark claims.

Apparently, Cloudflare never received either of Senk's counter notices, which is a problem since Cloudflare only allows a 72-hour window to contest a takedown notice.
This sounds like ClownFlare outright lying through its teeth. Probably not even to defend ClownStrike, but to not look incompetent.
- I think it's time to expand the Clown-Empire and add ClownSocialServices.lol and ClownFlare to its Vassals.
  What do we call the head of state? The Witish Clown?
  
  The POTCS (President of The Circus States)? The Top Wig?

They should have used their software to bring it down. We all know that will do it.
- ...provided it runs on CrowdStrike-protected systems. I would expect the site's operator to make sure to avoid that if they can help it.
- You sonofa.. Made me spill my drink...

I support the right of clowns to strike for whatever reason
- They've gotta do something in the face of ballooning expenses...
  
  Well everyone nose about inflation, but what about a clown's right to shoes?
- Helium prices are TOO DAMN HIGH

told Ars that he has no plans to move ClownStrike back to Cloudflare's hosting service. Instead, he responded by suggesting that Cloudflare update its abuse-reporting system to confirm receipt of counter notices, build a web portal where users can track abuse reports,
Good suggestions
and perhaps most significantly, revoke CSC's ability to submit abuse reports as a penalty for sending a bogus takedown
Pretty sure they can't. DMCA has strict rules that providers must follow to avoid liability.
- Imagine believing that large enough companies would be so heinous as to follow the law. What villains they'd be!
  /s
  
  Only when it benefits them*

way to go, dorks. now i've heard of this site that i would have never heard of if you hadn't streissanded it. and i for one approve

My name is Nathan Fielder, And I graduated from one of Canada's top business schools with really good grades.
The plan: turn this website into the world's first parody cybersecurity platform
- We will call it… Dumb Crowdstrike.
  
  Crowdstrike IS the parody of what Crowdstrike purported itself to be.

Clown Strike’s only real crime is kerning.
- thats not kerning, that's justification ☝️🤓️
  kerning refers to the spacing between individual letters in the words, and justification is a method of typograghic alignment where space between words is stretched to make text flush with both left and right margins
  
  Yup, kerning vs keming.

I am kinda PO'ed I didn't come up with this on my own lol

they should update their homepage to a forced download of an empty index.html

Maybe laylow and STFU crowdstrike? You know what never mind, pour fuel on the fire burning below you - go out screaming you turds.

Funny that clownstrike.com redirects to crowdstrike.com. I tried this before seeing the .lol domain. Lol

While parody sites are not the intended target of these efforts, it’s possible for such sites to be inadvertently impacted. We will review the process and, where appropriate, evolve ongoing anti-fraud activities.
Hmm, I think I've heard something like that before...
But it pledged Wednesday to keep software glitches like last week’s from happening again, and to publicly release a more detailed analysis when it becomes available.
The company added that it is developing a new check for its validation system “to guard against this type of problematic content from being deployed in the future.
"Oops!"

I am illiterate ignore me.
~~>Senk received a DMCA notice from Cloudflare's trust and safety team, which was then hosting the parody site.~~
~~Cloudflare sent themselves a DMCA takedown notice, instead of just taking down the content from their own web hosting for violating their policies. Weird.~~
- Cloudflare and Crowdstrike are different companies.
  
  ooooooopppppps someday I will learn to read

I love this

73 comments

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