Viacom files $1 billion copyright infringement suit against Google

March 13, 2007 | Matt Marshall | Comments | |

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Viacom, the giant owner of video content, has sued YouTube and Google for “massive intentional copyright infringement” of Viacom’s properties.

It is one of the biggest challenges yet to what content owners say is a foot-dragging policy by Google when it comes to respecting copyrights.

The suit seeks more than $1 billion in damages, as well as an injunction prohibiting Google and its property, YouTube, from further copyright infringement. The complaint says almost 160,000 unauthorized clips of Viacom’s programming have been available on YouTube and that these clips had been viewed more than 1.5 billion times.

google.jpgThe suit is significant because it puts significant pressure on Google to either comply quickly or fight the challenge in court. By fighting, Google could argue that YouTube’s current policy, of taking down video only after it gets complaints from owners, is compatible with the law.

Viacom continues to strike deals with other players, such as Joost, to allow them to license Viacom’s content. Google has said it will soon introduce filtering technology to avoid pirated videos from being submitted at YouTube, but it has yet to do so.

The longer it waits, the bigger YouTube’s lead appears to get in the video sharing industry.

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About the Author, Matt Marshall

Matt Marshall is editor and CEO of VentureBeat. Follow him on Twitter at @mmarshall, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Its funny that Google purchased Youtube for 1.65 billion dollars and is now getting sued for over half its purchase price for Youtube related issues.
    I wonder what affect this will have on Google Stock Prices, which are now at a record high.
  • Yousuf Khan
    I guess the mantra for today's business is very simple - "if you can't beat them, just sue them." There is no doubt that the big VC boys in the Valley are going to get their phones working in trying to pacify Viacom to an out of court deal.