Viacom claims in a New York federal court appeal that YouTube allows – and even welcomes – “rampant copyright infringement.”
A lower court previously concluded that Google’s popular video service is protected from copyright infringement claims. On Tuesday, Viacom urged a Manhattan appeals panel to reject that ruling.
Viacom lawyer Paul Smith says YouTube gets a free ride on the backs of other’s copyrights.
Google attorney Andrew Shapiro counters that YouTube follows the law.
He says that when YouTube is told of a copyright infringement, it always takes down the video.
The New York-based Viacom owns popular cable channels such as MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Google is based in Mountain View, Calif.
It could take months for the appeals panel to rule.
Filed Under: Industry regulations