Google and YouTube win Copyright Case

Added on : 28 June 2010
Filed under : Patents, Designs & Copyright

A long-running battle between Google-owned YouTube and Viacom has resulted in a summary judgement in favour of the search engine giant. Viacom, The Premier League and others have complained about their content appearing on the video-sharing site in breach of copyright. They feel that YouTube and Google have been too slow to remove illegal content, but in a summary judgement issued on June 23rd 2010, Judge Louis Stanton favoured the defendants’ defence that they were entitled to “safe harbour” protection under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

It’s a case that has been running for more than two years, when Viacom filed a $1m suit against YouTube and Google claiming that the site was encouraging users to upload copyrighted videos and other material. The internet household names claim that copyright owners have a responsibility to police how their material is being used and that the sole accountability for this problem should not rest with the site owners. Google also says that it wants to work closely with copyright holders to make sure violations are reduced. It appears that the court in New York agrees for now, although Viacom will be appealing the judgement in the near future.