It’s not surprising that more people don’t understand their rights (and obligations) involving copyright — since the DMCA is, of course, a tangled mess — but I’ve always been surprised by the number of individual rights-holders who think that filing a DMCA notice is this huge involved thing. I suppose that impression does do some good to lessen frivolous claims and abuses, but it does also lead to disasters like this.

Likewise, of course, it’s amazing how many people think that filing counter-notification is this huge involved thing. I mean, I wouldn’t want to counter-notify against, say, the MPAA unless I was dead flat certain I’d win, but in disputes between Joe and Jane Public, I was often tempted to grab people by the shoulders and yell “It’s not hard! Yes! The notification is bogus! We know! Just counter-notify already! Please!”

Ah, the life of an online service provider. :)