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VIACOM SUES GOOTUBE FOR A BILLION
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The escalating copyright feud between Viacom and Google/YouTube reached a boiling point yesterday when the entertainment conglomerate filed a $1 billion suit against the Internet behemoth.
The suit was filed despite the fact that Google made good on its promise to remove 100,000 Viacom-owned clips from YouTube last month. The blogosphere is already abuzz with theories about Viacom's motivations. Bobbie Johnson at the Guardian thinks that the suit might have something to do with Viacom's recent partnership with Joost. Meanwhile Internet Outsider, written by blue-chip tech consultant Henry Blodget, isn't taking the suit all that seriously.
"Why is this irrelevant?" Blodget writes. "Because if Google takes the next logical step and goes through the
motions of fighting the lawsuit, the companies will be in court for
years. (During which time Viacom's content will become less relevant
and YouTube's platform will become more powerful.)
Because $1 billion in damages is absurd. Viacom wants headlines--and is getting them. Because
$1 billion is also chump change in this league. (The injunction is
potentially more problematic, but would likely just force YouTube to do
what it will eventually have to do anyway--develop better ways of
monitoring what is on the site). Because the lawsuit is just another negotiating move and will disappear when the companies finally come to terms."
Stay tuned...
