USD1 billion down the GooTube?
13-03-2007
by The Register

Viacom's patience with Google has finally run out, and the entertainment giant has filed a USD1 billion copyright infringement suit against Google.

Viacom said the ad giant's YouTube sevice is hosting 160,000 infringing works, which have been viewed 1.5 billionn times. It alleges that YouTube has "built a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others' creative works in order to enrich itself and its corporate parent Google."

In February, Viacom requested that users remove 100,000 clips from the service. But as soon as Google takes them down, up they go up again. Viacom's movie studios include Paramount and Dreamworks, and its TV assets include MTV, the Comedy Channel, and Nickelodeon. Google boffins say they're working on a system to identify infringing material -- but not fast enough for Viacom's liking.

The spectacularly clueless DC lobby group Public Knowledge, which lives in Google's pocket, responded to the suit and said: "We are confident YouTube and Google will continue to take appropriate actions in accordance with the safe-harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)."

But that horse has already bolted; Google has already conceded it's removing infringing material. And while legal experts disagree, selling adverts next to infringing material doesn't make the cries of innocence sound any more sincere.

Last year Google struck a revenue sharing deal with music giant Universal, which then sued smaller video sites including Grouper and Bolt. YouTube already has revenue sharing deals with CBS and Sony BMG.

Last week, Viacom struck a deal with P2P TV service Joost -- reminding Google that YouTube isn't the only "platform" in town.

The Register and its contents are copyright 2007 Situation Publishing. Reprinted with permission.