Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on your response, and the parent comment, it seems like content hosts have a responsibility: to determine if a DMCA takedown request is valid. If a host doesn't see this as a responsibility, and simply complies with every DMCA (whether valid, invalid, or even fraudulent), I'd agree with op... the host is culpable whenever they comply with an invalid or fraudulent DMCA request. Maybe not culpable in a legal sens…
They don't have a responsibility except in a goodwill sense. The DMCA gives hosts an option to have legal immunity for each specific case of infringement, to gain the immunity they need only take the content down at the cost of outraging a potential customer. They don't have to take the option, however. It is common in industry for hosts to simply discard obviously invalid complaints particularly if the target is hig…
I can't imagine it was the only time such a thing happened, and that alone is an argument for simply ignoring those take-down requests if possible.