RIAA Takedowns Backfire as Pirated MP3s Now Surface on GitHub

Two weeks ago the RIAA asked GitHub to remove the open-source stream-ripper software youtube-dl. This request wasn't well-received by developers, many of whom retaliated by posting copies of the code.

We have seen similar requests in the past but this one struck a nerve, especially among developers. They believe that the RIAA went too far. As we highlighted earlier, hundreds of new copies of the youtube-dl code appeared online in response, also on GitHub.

This is yet another example that shows how the RIAA’s takedown request has actually made things worse for the music group, at least for now.