Google Sued Over Google Video... Details Missing

from the who-did-what-to-who-now? dept

Wed, Nov 8th 2006 8:39pm — Mike Masnick

For all the hand-wringing and conspiracy theories over Google getting sued for its own Google Video offering or YouTube's offering infringing on someone's copyright, it appears that something has finally happened -- it's just that no one knows exactly what. Google released information today saying that a lawsuit has been filed against their video offering for copyright infringement -- though they explain none of the details (though, we're sure they'll come out soon enough). For all we know, this could be the lawsuit that was filed against YouTube over the summer. Chances are it's something different, but it's hard to say if it's substantial or legitimate at this point. Just because someone sued, it doesn't mean that Google is guilty or in trouble. In fact, as we've seen, Google seems to live for these types of lawsuits where they can fight them to set the precedent and make it clear what's legal and what's not.

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12 Comments

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Kyros, 8 Nov 2006 @ 9:44pm

first post! and google will get past it - your right, they do live for these lawsuits.
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Rob, 8 Nov 2006 @ 9:51pm

Re:
Please take the time to know the difference between your and you're.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Nov 2006 @ 10:11pm

This makes me wonder what exactly the person is attempting to sue for...and why(money :p?) ?
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Nov 2006 @ 10:38pm

Re: Re:
Please don't take the time to complain about stupid grammer errors.
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Rabid Rabbit, 8 Nov 2006 @ 10:53pm

It'd be awesome if the person that sued was suing for the same reason that Google defends - to make it clear what is and isn't legal, and to set a precedent.

Though it's much more likely that they sued for some much less honorable reason.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Nov 2006 @ 11:01pm

Re: Re: Re:
Please STFU
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Alok, 8 Nov 2006 @ 11:11pm

Re:
There isn't a shred of doubt that there is enormous theft of copyright happening with new services such as Google Video or You Tube yadda yadda yadda. To make the medium responsible for the theft would be hasty, but to let them loose to do it wholesale would be mass murder of individiual rights.

I think when there is a copyright infringement and the copyright owners identify that it has happened to their property, Google should give up its advertisement revenues (or potential advertisement revenues) for the material that the stored and made available to the general public. As well as identify the credit cards of the uploaders, thank you very much.

As a corollary iTunes requires credit card to even download songs. And millions of them have done it. Why should'nt uploading then require credit card.

And before you rush to patent this idea. It is public domain right here, right now. And now go and do some real innovation you losers.
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Panaqqa, 9 Nov 2006 @ 5:57am

Why not require a c/c to upload?
Because if you decided to require a credit card to upload, then you would have no uploads. That's pretty simple. And as far as identifying the credit card of the uploaders goes - what are you, nuts? I can see it now: "We require you to provide a major credit card to upload to this site, and we will not guarantee that we won't give out your card information without your permission on any allegation of copyright infringement."

All your requirement would do is tank Google Video/You Tube and guarantee that some other website without a credit card requirement would take its place at the forefront. Maybe a website based in, say, Tonga or Vanuatu so as to be beyond the reach of lawsuits.
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Pingmaster, 9 Nov 2006 @ 11:25am

Liability
part of what google is likely to try to prove is that the service itself is not directly responsible for content uploaded by it's users, if they are not made aware that the content uploaded was copyrighted material. It would be like suing soneone who was given a copied CD but was made to believe it was legal, instead of suing the person who created the illegal copy in the first place
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Gita, 9 Nov 2006 @ 7:07pm

A Question
Posted this question in the Beatles page, but this one seem to be a better place to ask.....so.....

Need you're help on this one......

can i post a video i made on the You.Tube site with the background sound of a full track song by the beatles?

The song is from 1969 and according to You.Tube copyright the best way is to get a permission from the record label or use only a small section of the song/sound.

since i wish to use the full track of the sound, which record company do i need to contact? do i actually need to get a permission if it's for a non-profitable purpose.....

Any help would be appriciated......

Gratefully,

Gita.
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Alok, 10 Nov 2006 @ 6:31am

Re: Why not require a c/c to upload?
>Because if you decided to require a credit card to upload, then you would have no uploads. That's pretty simple.

Make that no illegal copyright violating uploads. You think I would not upload my programs or promotion because of it?

>And as far as identifying the credit card of the uploaders goes - what are you, nuts?

No actually I am quite serious. It is obvious that you don't have any major copyright property, or are losing revenue when people put your property on the internet for free.

>I can see it now: "We require you to provide a major credit card to upload to this site, and we will not guarantee that we won't give out your card information without your permission on any allegation of copyright infringement."
Hey, the site would not give out the credit card information to every Tom, Dick and Harry or you. It would give it to a neutral party like the Police or other law enforcement agency when the copyright holder complains.

>All your requirement would do is tank Google Video/You Tube and guarantee that some other website without a credit card requirement would take its place at the forefront.
If Google/You Tube does mass scale copyright infringement then it deserves to be taken down for all the revenue loss for the owners. If some other site does the same, then it should be liable to like Google & You Tube now is, for mass aiding mass copy right infringement.

>Maybe a website based in, say, Tonga or Vanuatu so as to be beyond the reach of lawsuits.
That would be a different matter. A thief at home is different from an alien copyright violator.
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Mathew Ingram, 10 Nov 2006 @ 7:16am

google video lawsuit
It could be thuis lawsuit.
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