Viacom Sues YouTube
If you only read the feed (RSS) version of militantgeek you may not have seen the little Google Reader widget that is embedded on the right hand side of the page. It keeps a list of all the stories that I tag that are geek worthy throughout the day that I may not have time to comment on at the moment. As yesterday developed it filled up with news about Viacom suing YouTube (through parent Google) for a billion dollars. From Mike Arrington’s TechCrunch coverage (who is quoting the actual lawsuit):
There is no question that YouTube and Google are continuing to take the fruit of our efforts without permission and destroying enormous value in the process. This is value that rightfully belongs to the writers, directors and talent who create it and companies like Viacom that have invested to make possible this innovation and creativity.
After a great deal of unproductive negotiation, and remedial efforts by ourselves and other copyright holders, YouTube continues in its unlawful business model. Therefore, we must turn to the courts to prevent Google and YouTube from continuing to steal value from artists and to obtain compensation for the significant damage they have caused.
ValleyWag has an interesting take: sue back. If Summer Redstone (Viacom’s voracious vulture-in-chief) wants to wave his legal stick about do so in kind. We want to see the kind of knock-down, drag-em-out sword fight to end all sword fights (in the strictly platonic sense, of course). Its about time that somebody with cahones steps forward, DMCA Safe Harbor Provision in hand, and puts an end to calling lawyers when the revenue sharing deals aren’t to one’s liking.
Your move Google. You knew this was coming a month ago and you sure as hell should have had something prepared. Are you going to fight? Or are you going to make yourself a target for every content owner with an ambulance chaser on speed dial? Your call.
