Date: Monday, August 13, 2007

YouTube to be sued

Video-sharing website heavyweight, YouTube is facing legal action for the showing of copyrighted material on their site without the artist’s permission.

YouTube often has videos of new music and television shows on their website, but they maintain that as soon as they become aware of it they take them down. Now however parties acting on behalf of the artists and the television networks are maintaining that they are not being adequately compensated for the loss of earnings resulting from the clips being shown. The National Musical Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has joined other companies such as Viacom and Nickelodeon in seeking damages from the video-sharing giant. The FA Premier League, Paramount Pictures and Comedy Central are also all suing the website for unapproved use of their material. YouTube says it has not breached any copyright laws as they remove all offending clips immediately. However the chief executive of the NMPA, a major American music industry body, refutes this, saying that the organisation is very concerned about the website’s apparently flagrant attitude towards copyright issues. Now the NMPA says it has joined the action against YouTube to protect the work of music publishers and songwriters, from being used by the site without permission or compensation.

This is the latest in a recent onslaught of backlash against the website, which in the past few weeks has been accused of promoting child violence through the screening of clips showing children fighting, and of being responsible for the rise in cyber bullying due to bullies use of the site to show clips of their victims. The combined case against YouTube over copyright claims will be heard in New York and time will tell whether YouTube can rise up from yet another battle against them. Viewers will also be concerned as to whether this will be the end to being able to see their favourite shows, music and football action online.

Source: BBC News