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May 26, 2012

Viacom sues Google for $1 billion

by Brad Linder, posted Mar 13th 2007 11:30AM

Viacom YouTubeWe all knew Viacom wasn't too happy with Google and YouTube. Last month the media company asked Google to remove 100-thousand videos, and Google took efforts to do.

Now Viacom is seeking $1 billion from Google for unauthorized use of Viacom content. Viacom claims that nearly 160,000 of its copyrighted cliips have been uploaded to YouTube and viewed over 1.5 billion times.

In a press release, Viacom says the decision to sue Google follows a series of "unproductive negotiation." Viacom also accuses YouTube of building "a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others' creative works."

It'll be interesting to see how far this case goes. My guess is that Google will attempt to settle out of court, possibly by reaching a revenue sharing agreement with Viacom. Of course, Viacom has already made moves to indicate that it doesn't need YouTube to distribute content. The company recently signed a deal with internet-TV provider Joost.

Google could also offer a one-time payment and finally make good on its attempts to provide robust software to filter out copyrighted material.

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Mark

I'd like to see Google just remove all references to viacom or cbs while this suit is pending. See how that affects Viacom's bottom line.

There's no law saying that Google must list anything viacom-related.

Viacom - owned shows like the Daily Show, Craig Ferguson, and many others probably owe the bulk of their popularity to YouTube. It drives viewers. It's free publicity. This suit is idiotic.

March 13 2007 at 3:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
heyLA

Damn this is getting just as bad as the music scene back when napster was doing the same.

I can't blame them. Don't mess with my money either! I got bills to pay.

March 13 2007 at 2:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RSL

Most ironic quote ever: Viacom also accuses YouTube of building "a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others' creative works."

How exactly have the corporate heads of Viacom made their livings? Surely not by exploiting creatives. No. Surely creatives [I'm talking writers, production, etc] are always adequately compensated. It'd never be about a bigger profit for the whiteys at the top.

March 13 2007 at 1:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jefferson Burns

Bitter and Jaded, Party of One. Your table is now ready. Bitter and Jaded, Party of One.

March 13 2007 at 11:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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