It isn’t really fair to pick on Linode, all US hosting providers work the same way.
When someone files a DMCA claim, if you want to keep the content up you need your lawyer to file a counterclaim. Hosting providers are then allowed to leave it up, and you can fight about it in court.
It sounds from this article like the newspaper didn’t have a lawyer, or at least not a lawyer familiar with American law. That sucks but all you can really do about it is to get a lawyer, or use a non-US hosting solution.
When someone files a DMCA claim, if you want to keep the content up you need your lawyer to file a counterclaim. Hosting providers are then allowed to leave it up, and you can fight about it in court.
It sounds from this article like the newspaper didn’t have a lawyer, or at least not a lawyer familiar with American law. That sucks but all you can really do about it is to get a lawyer, or use a non-US hosting solution.