Viacom Sues YouTube, Google For $1B

[babylonsister]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/13/business/main2562665.shtml

Viacom Sues YouTube, Google For $1B
Claims Web Site Broke Copyright Laws By Providing 160,000 Unauthorized Video Clips

NEW YORK, March 13, 2007
(AP / CBS)

(CBS/AP) MTV owner Viacom Inc. said Tuesday it has sued YouTube and its corporate parent Google Inc. for alleged copyright infringement and is seeking more than $1 billion in damages.

The complaint contends that roughly 160,000 unauthorized clips of Viacom programming have been available on the popular video-sharing Web site. In addition to MTV, Viacom also owns a number of other cable networks including VH1, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

In a statement, Viacom lashed out at YouTube's business practices, saying it 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."

Viacom said YouTube's business model, "which is based on building traffic and selling advertising off of unlicensed content, is clearly illegal and is in obvious conflict with copyright laws."

In February Viacom demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 unauthorized video clips from its site after several months of talks between the companies broke down.

Viacom filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is also seeking an injunction prohibiting Google and YouTube from using its clips.

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[SteppingRazor]

1. I wondered when this was gonna happen...

it seemed only a matter of time.

[Halliburton]

2. ever since google took over

all of the jon stewart clips were deleted.

[napi21]

3. So THAT'S the reason c-span issued that notice of change the

other day saing they were permitting use of any of their video for non-commercial use. Hmmm...I can only HOPE the court sees this differently than Viacom. I'm looking forward to YouTube clips playing a BIG rold in the 08 campaigns!

[shance]

4. Summer Redstone and the other good ole boys can't stand too much truth being exposed.

So, they just sue the truth tellers.