Link-Busters Now Requests the Majority of Google Search Takedowns
Link-Busters, an anti-piracy firm serving major publishing houses, has significantly intensified its efforts against online piracy. In 2024, the company flagged over two billion URLs for DMCA takedown requests, accounting for more than half of all such requests received by Google.
This milestone was achieved less than six months after surpassing the one billion mark earlier in the year, with Link-Busters now processing over 250 million URL removal requests monthly. Their primary clients include prominent publishers such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Taylor & Francis, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette, who rely on Link-Busters to combat the spread of pirated e-books and academic articles.
Despite these extensive efforts, challenges persist. Platforms like Z-Library and Anna’s Archive continue to attract millions of users, with shadow libraries expanding their content collections at staggering rates. Additionally, the emergence of AI scraping tools utilizing pirated content presents new threats, prompting publishers to ramp up their anti-piracy measures.
