Viacom Inc. said that it has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Google Inc. and its Internet video sharing baby YouTube over unauthorized use of its copyrighted entertainment. The suit accuses Google and YouTube of “massive intentional copyright infringement” of Viacom’s entertainment assets and seeks an injunction against further violations. Massive here refers to the 160,000 unauthorized clips that Viacom said have been uploaded and viewed more than 1.5 billion times. So, why just ask for $1 billion? Go ask for $1.5 billion.
In a statement, Google said “”that YouTube has respected the legal rights of copyright holders. 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.”
Originally posted on March 13, 2007 @ 8:21 am