Viacom Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Google
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Viacom Seeking More Than $1B From Google’s
YouTube In Copyright Infringement Lawsuit |
Viacom has filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit in N.Y. against YouTube-owner
Google seeking more than $1B in damages and an injunction that would “prohibit
Google and YouTube from using its clips,” according to Georg Szalai of the HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER. The complaint alleges that YouTube has made available about 160,000
unauthorized video clips from Viacom’s cable networks — including MTV, Comedy
Central and VH1 — and that the clips have been viewed more than 1.5 billion
times. Google said in a statement said the company is “confident that YouTube
has respected the legal rights of copyright holders and believe the courts will
agree” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/14). In L.A., Chmielewski, James & Mulligan
note “several book publishers and news agencies have sued Google for alleged copyright
infringement, though none has Viacom’s deep pockets or fighting instincts.” Until
recently, Viacom was one of “several companies struggling to reach deals that
would allow them to share in the YouTube advertising revenue that their shows
generate.” NBC Universal “recently sent a letter warning that Google should better
protect copyrighted material.” TV producer Ben Silverman: “When YouTube was a
fun start-up that wasn’t monetizing the content, I was fine with it. But the moment
they sold themselves for $1.6[B] and became a service that was making money off
other people’s content, the game changed” (L.A. TIMES, 3/14). Vanity Fair
media critic Michael Wolff said Viacom’s “proposition is very, very clear and
very basic. It is, ‘You have to cut us in on this business.’” He added, “What
Viacom and all the other media companies are going to do is ... force Google literally
to give them a piece of the YouTube business or potentially a piece of the Google
business” (“On The Money,” CNBC, 3/13).
STOCK WATCH: Google shares fell 2.6% on Tuesday to $443.03. At presstime,
shares were trading at 440.00, down 0.68% (THE DAILY).
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