In a shocking turn of events, Ceartas CEO Dan Purcell is Caught in a shocking act of disloyalty. Intimate videos of Purcell and his partner have emerged on a porn site without consent. This breach of trust has sparked concerns about privacy, consent, and ethical behavior, leaving both Purcell and Ceartas facing significant impact.
This incident prompted him to seek solutions for individuals facing similar violations, leading to the creation of Ceartas in 2021. Partnering with his co-founder Jonny Smyth, Ceartas developed AI-driven tools to enhance brand protection and combat piracy.
Their startup employs AI to enhance brand protection and anti-piracy measures for content creators and brands. Recently, they secured $4.5 million in seed funding from Earlybird Venture Capital and Upside VC, a fund affiliated with Sidemen, a prominent YouTube influencer group.
Ceartas boasts that it streamlines the process of removing unauthorized content and swiftly detects deepfakes. Utilizing its unique AI technology, the company’s tool scours various digital platforms to spot content that infringes copyrights, including deepfake videos.
It then removes the content from search engine results and automatically sends out DMCA takedown notices for pirated material. Ceartas aims to reduce problematic content visibility on Google by 98% and plans to expand into the enterprise sector to address issues like copied goods.
In Dublin and Berlin, Ceartas plans to expand its presence to Los Angeles and has forged partnerships with platforms like OnlyFans and Fanfix, along with collaborating with influencers such as Sidemen and physical goods brands active on social media.
Its competitors include Rulta, providing DMCA takedown services for Twitch, OnlyFans, X, Patreon, and others, as well as BranditScan. In the B2B brand protection sector, Red Points from Barcelona has secured $106.6 million in funding, while Vobile, serving large enterprises in the film and TV content realm, has raised $181.6 million.
If the infringement rate exceeds 90%, Ceartas automatically issues legal notices prepared by lawyers from a Los Angeles-based firm called Morrison Cooper; if it’s below 90%, the content undergoes manual review by copyright specialists.
Purcell highlighted Ceartas’ decision to collaborate with Earlybird because the VC firm actively sought opportunities in brand protection and discovered them naturally. Earlybird had been researching this area since 2019 but struggled to find a company capable of scaling and monetizing effectively. When Ceartas presented their pitch, Earlybird was equally enthusiastic.
Andre Retterath from Earlybird highlighted piracy challenges, emphasizing the importance of modern AI language models. The recent funding also garnered support from notable angel investors spanning gaming, content creation, music, and television sectors, including Thomas Hesse, Andrej Henkler, Michele Attisani, Niccolo Maisto, and Ryan Morrison.
It serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of sharing private content online, urging individuals and businesses alike to prioritize privacy and accountability. As the fallout unfolds, it underscores the importance of maintaining transparency and upholding ethical standards to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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