When Google acquired YouTube many considered it was only a matter of time before a TV company decided to step into the ring with Google, to fight it out over copyright infringement on YouTube.
Lots of companies shouted at Google from the ringside only to later calm down and come around to Google’s way of thinking.
But the first real big blow was delivered by Viacom when it requested that over 100,000 infringing videos be removed from YouTube and planted a $1 billion dollar lawsuit on Google.
Then to add salt to the wound Viacom gave the finger to YouTube by selecting Joost as the preferred distribution platform for its video content online, leaving YouTube out of the picture.
Google not backing down
According to a Reuters report on Monday, Google has demanded a jury trial to respond to allegations contained in Viacom’s lawsuit. Google says that the lawsuit strikes at the heart of how the Internet works.
“By seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet communications, Viacom’s complaint threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression,” Google said in answer to Viacom’s March 13 suit.
Google has money aside
Google had been expecting something like this to come along and now it will likely start breaking into the $500 million dollars that was put away in escrow for YouTube legal battles such as this one.
Some of the money will be going towards legal expert Philip Beck of law firm Bartlit Beck. This guy is the lawyer who argued President George W. Bush’s side in the Florida vote-counting case following the 2000 election
Internet Community holds its Breath
The general internet community will be behind YouTube and Google on this one. While there is definitely concern over copyright infringement on video sharing sites that needs addressing, if Google was to lose outright it could very well mean the end of video sharing on US soil.
