Copyright infringement and privacy by Claudia Sonea

Is Google in trouble? After Viacom and other copyright holders sued YouTube owned by Google seeking damages of $1 billion, things started to become shaky. In addition Judge Louis Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on July 1 for Google Inc to hand over YouTube logging database, thus revealing users’ log-in IDs and IP addresses.
It is understandable for Viacom and the other plaintiffs to seek compensation from YouTube and accuse it of copyright infringement, but why should we all suffer? The database in question contains information like: each time the video played, users; login ID, the IP, allowing tracking specific individuals. Although the judge founds the problem of privacy speculative, I see the entire thing as an intrusion in my personal habit, in the way I use the Internet. Why would Viacom need all viewers ID when the only one that matters is that of the person that attached the video?
Viacom and the other plaintiffs showed that they understand the problem and what it would cause and they reached an agreement with Google so that YouTube can preserve the anonymity of the records. However, YouTube has a week to come up with an alternative plan. Also, there are concerns whether a YouTube employee watched a video guilty of infringement. If one did so, then Google can kiss $1 billion goodbye.
Fortunately for us the issue was put to rest thanks to diplomacy and understanding. Now, if they would only try to put to rest their differences in the same way, that would be quite an achievement. Stay connected, more to come…


related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_hi_te/youtube_lawsuit;_ylt=AiooB67VGh_R.MeJERTRC8Ss0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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posted by Lucia Adamova