Skip to main content

Google Responds to Viacom’s YouTube Suit

In a response filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Internet giant Google has responded to the $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit filed against it and its YouTube subsidiary by media conglomerate Viacom—and, unsurprisingly, Google refutes nearly all of Viacom’s claims and demands a jury trail.

In March, Viacom filed suit against Google and YouTube alleging the video sharing site engages in “massive intentional copyright infringement,” enabling views to violate copyrights to Viacom programming like MTV programming and the popular The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central. In its response, Google claims that YouTube actually goes “above and beyond” the obligations required under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) and cooperates with copyright holders to swiftly remove unauthorized material from the video sharing service. The DCMA explicitly protects Internet hosts from copyright lawsuits so long as they comply with valid requests to remove infringing material. “By seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet communications, Viacom’s complaint threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment, and political and artistic expression,” Google wrote in its response.

A Viacom spokesperson countered that YouTube does not qualify for protection under the provisions of the DMCA, but declined to elaborate on the reasoning behind the statement. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has characterized Viacom’s lawsuit as a “negotiating tactic” on several occasions. Google has promised to offer tools to copyright holders which would help them more easily identify pirated content, but has offered no timeline as to when such tools may become available…and, of course, there’s no way of knowing ahead of time how effective they might be.

The next court date for the lawsuit is a case management hearing scheduled for July 27.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
7 things you didn’t know the Google Nest Cam (2021) could do
Google Nest Cam (wired) perched on shelf.

It's time to start thinking about smart security. Easier to install and control than ever, an intuitive smart security system will be built to handle the elements, alert you when motion triggers your cameras and sensors, allow you to store recorded footage in a lock-and-key cloud, and more. If you've been bouncing back and forth between multiple surveillance systems and can't decide where to land, Google's all-new suite of Nest hardware may be the answer you've been looking for.

The Google Nest Cam (battery), Nest Cam with Floodlight, and Nest Cam (wired) are the latest Nest products to hit the scene. Packed with more features and customization options than ever, we've broken down Google's new family of security devices to help you understand exactly what all the big fuss is about and why you should buy.
Intelligent alerts that can distinguish dogs from cats

Read more
5 new Google Assistant features you can try right now
The Google Nest Audio.

Smart assistants make life easier through hands-free control of much of the home, but they can do so much more. Google Assistant has continued to add and expand functionality, and these new Google Assistant features are a perfect example.

A lot of people have a Google Assistant device in their home, but many of the best features are under-utilized or completely ignored--but these features can save you time, keep the kids entertained, and even surprise you with hidden easter eggs. In addition to using just about any smartphone to access Google Assistant, you can command the smart assistant on a host of devices like the Google Nest Audio, Lenovo Smart Display 7, and even the Google Nest Wifi.
Use the Broadcast feature to let your family know when dinner is ready
The Broadcast feature is one of the most powerful tools in the Google Assistant lineup. It can alert everyone in the family that it's time to eat, that you're heading out to get groceries, and more. You can choose to send a message to the entire home, or to a specific room--for example, you might want to say, "Hey Google, broadcast to Jim's room: Have you finished your homework yet?"

Read more
7 things you didn’t know your Google Nest Hub smart display could do
The Google Nest Hub on a table.

Google's line of Nest Hub smart displays can work as a digital photo frame, give customized greetings based on the time of day, and even stream YouTube videos to give your office a bit of background noise. It shows us exactly how effective smart displays are in various aspects of our lives.

That's not all the Nest Hub can do, though. It's also packed with features that a lot of people don't know about, but which can greatly improve your overall experience with the platform. Some are pretty straightforward, like home access control to your connected devices and video calling, but there is some other stuff most people don't realize they can do with it.

Read more