Precisely. What it replaced was rightsholders suing web services (like a forum or web host) as a first resort, which was a much more cumbersome and painful process for all parties.
> If it was more painful for the suing party, it was a good thing.
It's a lot easier for a large plaintiff - like a record label, a movie studio, or a software publisher - to file a lawsuit than it is for a small defendant like a web site operator to defend against one.
Now all it needs is send some letter to github and they take down content, no questions asked, how is that better? It is for court to decide.