

Github caves in to Whatsapp's Legal Assault - lexaude

Github appears to have disabled access to a number of repositories in response to a DMCA takedown by Whatsapp&#x27;s general counsel in February 2014. These repositories appear to contain code that allows developers to create apps that can communicate with the official whatsapp client. The biggest target of this takedown is Tarek Galak&#x27;s Open Whatsapp platform. http:&#x2F;&#x2F;openwhatsapp.org&#x2F;<p>Take a look at the takedown notice here - https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;github&#x2F;dmca&#x2F;blob&#x2F;master&#x2F;2014-02-12-WhatsApp.md
======
dangrossman
Is Github expected to take on personal liability for every repository it
hosts, and provide free legal representation for their owners in court? I
don't know if that's a winning business. Following the DMCA is probably a
smarter move, which means taking down the repositories when a claim is filed,
and restoring them 10 business days after a counternotice is filed.

Several of those counternotices were filed at the very end of last month, and
the 10 business days have not yet elapsed. Github can't put them back online
early unless it wants to lose the liability protection.

~~~
lexaude
It did sound like I was criticising Github but that wasn't what I intended.
Github actually came out looking good because like Google, its done a good job
posting a copy of all takedown notices. In fact, looks like Github put all the
repos back online again!!

------
sgloutnikov
I guess that time was going to come eventually. Tarek Galak's Open Whatsapp
was a great project for the Nokia N9 initially. A great mobile platform that
had 0 support, but with a strong community (over at maemo.org) that reverse
engineered WhatsApp.

~~~
lexaude
And they're back in business :)

------
tehwebguy
Yeah, but that's how the DMCA works.

If these users want to challenge the takedown notice they can, and my guess is
that Github would probably put the content back up and it would be up to
WhatsApp to take the next step if they want to.

~~~
lexaude
And they did!

