Google AdSense has censored me because of the HD-DVD key

published Feb 15, 2008, last modified Jun 26, 2013

Remember the HD-DVD key fiasco? They say no good deed goes unpunished, and ten months after the brouhaha that enraged millions on the Internet, I have received payment in due course -- the suspension of my account:

This is the e-mail they sent me a few hours ago:

Estimado editor:

Al revisar su cuenta, hemos detectado que publica anuncios Google de una
manera que infringe nuestras políticas. Por ejemplo, detectamos
infracciones de las políticas de AdSense en páginas como
http://rudd-o.com/archives/2007/04/30/spread-this-number/.

Según se especifica en las políticas de nuestro programa, los editores de
AdSense no pueden insertar anuncios Google en los sitios involucrados en la
distribución de materiales protegidos por derechos de autor.

En consecuencia, hemos inhabilitado la posibilidad de ofrecer anuncios en
el sitio.

Su cuenta de AdSense sigue activa. No obstante, le recomendamos que revise
las políticas de nuestro programa (https://www.google.com/adsense/policies)
para asegurarse de que todas las páginas restantes cumplen con los
requisitos.

Tenga en cuenta que si sigue infringiendo las políticas, podríamos vernos
obligados a suspender su cuenta.

Atentamente,

El equipo AdSense de Google

This, translating to English (the meaty part only, of course), means:

According to our program's policies, AdSense editors cannot place Google advertisements in sites involved with the distribution of copyright-protected materials.

As I'm in no way involved with distribution of copyright-infringing materials, I replied in the following manner:

Estimados AdSense,

Please correct this situation immediately. The URL:

http://rudd-o.com/archives/2007/04/30/spread-this-number/

contains ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can be construed as distribution of copyright-protected materials. No one can't claim copyright in a number -- it's a legal impossibiity.

The other hyperlinks link to sites that, under some braindead copyright regimes, may perhaps be construed as assisting copyright infringement, but:

  1. none are guilty of copyright infringement
  2. it certainly does NOT mean I'm an infringer (which you accuse me of)

Therefore, your accusation is baseless. Restore my account ASAP.

I have taken the liberty of publishing this letter on my site.

It's simply unbelievable that an event of this magnitude passed them by when it happened (may I remind you that they sold thousands of dollars of ads in that very page), and I see repercussions against me ten months after that. At the very least, it's hypocritical; at its worst, it's an outright mendacious fabrication.