Viacom Knows What You Did Last Summer.
Holy shit. According to this Wired article, a judge ruled yesterday (Wednesday, July 2, 2008) that Google will have to turn over every record of every video watched by YouTube users, including users’ names and IP addresses, to Viacom. The order also requires Google to turn over copies of all videos that it has taken down for any reason.
Viacom is suing Google for allowing clips of its copyright videos to appear on YouTube, and wants the data to prove that infringing material is more popular than user-created videos, which could be used to increase Google’s liability if it is found guilty of contributory infringement.
Google argued that turning over the data would invade its users’ privacy, but the judge’s ruling (see pdf of ruling) described that argument as “speculative” and ordered Google to turn over the logs on a set of four tera-byte hard drives. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has already reacted, calling the order a violation of the Video Privacy Protection act that “threatens to expose deeply private information.”
The judge, in fairness, denied Viacom’s request for:
- YouTube’s source code, and the code for identifying repeat copyright infringement uploads
- Copies of all videos marked private and Google’s advertising database schema
- Chad Hurley and Steven Chen’s nuts on a silver platter
- Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman’s son Philippe Douman Jr (who works for Google) taking over as CEO for YouTube.
- The letter G removed from the alphabet.
- The internet being turned off until said disputes are settled
- A return to 1990 when big media had a profitable business model.
- Perpetualy indemnification from taxes by Viacom, its employees and any individual or company selected by the Viacom board.
- Eleven virgins for each Viacom senior executive.
- Viacom Day to replace 4th of July holiday.
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They know they have to go forward in court, because the existing case law would seem to be in Googs favor – they provide a service and can’t be expressly held responsible for what their users upload. Goog can demonstrate all of the measures they have taken to work with the copyright holders as acts of good faith. It’s all very similar to the P2P lawsuits and the like.
Viacom is making a play to get information from YT/Goog on the copyright infringers. Is there anyone anywhere that actually believes Viacom when they say that they will only use the information obtained to help prove their case against YT? 1 billion dollars isn’t enough for these guys, they won’t stop until they’ve DMCA’d the hell out of any idiot dumb enough to upload any episode of anything they’ve ever broadcast or established.
^now THAT’S actually funny, not the youtube kind of funny.
You all realize that Google just handed everything over to a very large corporation who now has the power not only pry into your viewing habits, but to sue all of you for any infraction they can muster. You do know people are making deals with the RIAA because they don’t want the hassle, even people who do not own or understand computer.
Perhaps, there is little outrage because everyone is so confused and still in a state of shock?
Folks, Google (an Al Gore CompanyTM) didn’t even bother to appeal! Is that a surprise? Elvis has left the building and you holding the bag.
I’d start working on a campaign for amnesty and take down or allow any large corporation to monetize off your videos if there happens to be ANY copyrighted material or product what-so-ever lying around in the background. You do know that just saying a corporations name in a bad light is next, right? Read AT&T’s TOS, I dare you!
Yes, yes, I know you are thinking, what is this some kind of conspiracy bullshit theory rant?! Let’s test a theory, when Congress covens next week you are quite likely to see the 4th Amendment wiped off the Bill O’Rights map and if you don’t think these large corporations are out to destroy your Freedom of Speech next, let me introduce you to Yahoo/China [click] (see sukatra, comes in handy)
Kevin, is it really true that humans taste like chicken? Are you offering yourself up to the corporate gods for all of us or was that just a pharmaceutical drug induced subconscious mistake? I’m hoping it was the Rebellious Kevin that rue the day; motorcycle, gruffly unshaven, teetering on the edge of danger by playing chicken with a front yard sapling in a brightly colored leather faced chicken outfit. You are the new Fonzi! in a yuppie sort of way. Back off ladies, he’s married!
Of course, everyone could get active, call your Congress-peoples’ people and ask them to alert their bosses to change the laws in favor of you, the little people, or take up a collection and slip them several tens-of-thousands of dollars under the table to do the right thing, the latter being less time consuming and more efficient.
Well, at least it’s better than just gripping, poo-pooing it off or doing nothing, I guess.
Oh come on now Jan, we can trust the big corporations, they wouldn’t do anything unethical or wrong. Besides, why should I care about this stuff, how does this affect ME? Why should I care about anything that isn’t about ME?
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”
-Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. — Thomas Jefferson
“I just farted.” – sukatra
^are those copy written farts?
I have the cure for this little problem you seem to be having of late sukatra, if you would like to read about it you can buy my new book
online at (a place that used to mean a type of jungle) for $24.95 or if you want you can wait until next year when it will be in paperback, at half the cost. Can you hold out and hold it in until then?
“sukatra you crack me up.” – Marilyn
55. Marilyn
“Those who do not learn the lessons from history are doomed to repeat it.”
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