Viacom, owner of MTV Networks and the Paramount Pictures movie studio, some time ago pulled all its clips (more than 100,000 unauthorized Viacom video clips) from YouTube (the top online video sharing service). The reason is – Viacom is planning to launch its own video sharing website that comprises a great many video features alike YouTube.
“YouTube and Google retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create it,” Viacom said first.
YouTube, probably not amused by the 100,000 DMCA takedown notices that had been delivered to its door, responded with strong words. “It’s unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube’s passionate audience, which has helped to promote many of Viacom’s shows,” said a YouTube spokesperson.
“This is Viacom and Google in a negotiation that hasn’t gone so smoothly…Viacom is just really turning up the heat.” - Edward Naughton, partner, Holland & Knight
“Viacom on Tuesday slapped YouTube and parent company Google with a lawsuit, accusing the wildly popular video-sharing site of “massive intentional copyright infringement” and seeking more than $1 billion in damages.” - Staff Writer, CNET News.com, by Anne Broache and Greg Sandoval.
Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service
“Google stands ready to fight the allegations and is confident that “YouTube has respected the legal rights of copyright holders,” a Google spokesman said via e-mail. “We will certainly not let this suit become a distraction to the continuing growth and strong performance of YouTube and its ability to attract more users, more traffic and build a stronger community,” he wrote.
Almost 160,000 Viacom video clips have been uploaded to YouTube without permission and have been viewed over 1.5 billion times, Viacom alleges.
“YouTube is a significant, for-profit organization that 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 charged in the statement.”
Sometimes the media companies try to reach out much more than they can really have. In this case I’d better take youTube’s stand. Really amazing how Viacom string along.
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Technorati Tags: Viacom, google video, youtube, video clips, video sharing website
