Controversial Anti-Muslim Movie, ‘Innocence of Muslims’, Taken Down
"Innocence of Muslims" has been removed from YouTube, which is owned by Google. A Federal Court has ordered Google to remove the highly controversial movie from YouTube. The movie was first uploaded to YouTube on July 01, 2012, sparking instant violent protests and fierce backlash all across the Muslim majority countries. A Pakistani Cabinet Minister had reportedly offered a bounty of $100,000 for the killing of the movie's American maker.
Actress of "Innocence of Muslims," Cindy Lee Garcia, had filed a lawsuit, stating that she has a copyright in her performance as she did not sign a release. In her argument, the actress had said that Google had a legal obligation to remove the movie from YouTube as she had sent a takedown notice to Google's YouTube, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Previously in November 2012, a federal judge had refused to grant an injection, concluding that Garcia was unlikely to win the case. In a split-decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that the "trial judge erred" when he did not grant an injunction, ordering the removal of the film, "Innnocence of Muslims," from YouTube, according to Los Angeles Times.
Garcia had originally signed-up for a movie called "Desert Warrior." The performance that she gave for "Desert Warrior" -- which was never completed -- was included in "Innocence of Muslims," without her knowledge. According to Los Angeles Times' report, the actress alleged that her voice was dubbed over to make an anti-Muslim remark. As a result, Garcia faced threats on her life, which forced her to leave her home and place of business.
"This is a troubling case," 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski writes. "Garcia was duped into providing an artistic performance that was used in a way she never could have foreseen. Her unwitting and unwilling inclusion in Innocence of Muslims led to serious threats against her life. It's disappointing, though perhaps not surprising, that Garcia needed to sue in order to protect herself and her rights."
The movie has an anti-Muslim tone, featuring offensive scenes. A quick You Tube search confirms that the movie is no longer available.