YouTube Calls Comedians Stewart and Colbert

By Geoff Duncan Published August 14, 2007

YouTube Calls Comedians Stewart and Colbert

As YouTube—and its parent company Google— prepare to defend themselves against a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit brought against them by media conglomerate Viacom, the popular video sharing Web site has made an interesting move: it has requested testimony from Comedy Central‘s well-known "fake news" comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom; the two host The Daily Show with John Stewart and its offshoot The Colbert Report, clips of which were both among the most popular items posted to YouTube by its users.

The comedians appear as number three and four on the list of 32 people YouTube wants to have give a deposition in the case. Viacom CEO Philip Dauman and general counsel Michael Fricklas top the list; Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone is eighth on the list.

Viacom, in turn, put Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at the top of its list, along with Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

In its copyright suit, Viacom claims clips from its Comedy Central shows were among the most-viewed clips on YouTube’s service, and that all the clips were uploaded without Viacom’s permission and constituted copyright infringement. YouTube has removed hundreds of thousands of video clips from its service in response to takedown requests, and is beginning to roll out technology and services to deter uploading of copyrighted material and to enable copyright owners to more efficiently get infringing material removed from YouTube. Google says respects copyright laws, and responds promptly to takedown requests from copyright holders.

YouTube’s decision to seek deposition from Stewart and Colbert is slightly odd: neither has a deep involvement with Viacom’s business and intellectual property decisions, and neither is believed to have played any significant role in Viacom’s decision to sue Google and YouTube. YouTube may simply be seeking publicity by seeking depositions from celebrity witnesses, or (more likely) it is seeking to undermine Viacom’s claim that its business was harmed through infringing posts to YouTube: Google may be preparing to argue that Viacom materially benefited from fans posting clips of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Smart Home

Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit and Blinds Collection join the Matter lineup

The Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit being installed.

Eve is a prominent name in the smart home world, with the company responsible for a variety of devices covering everything from smart plugs and security cameras to smart light switches and motion sensors. Its catalog is growing even more enticing today, with the Eve Blinds Collection and MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit gaining Matter support.

The MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit will likely appeal to more customers, as it costs just $200 and works with most existing setups. Installation is as simple as removing your shades, placing the MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit through the roller rod, then reinstalling the unit on your windows. Blinds with a roller between 1.5 inches and 2.0 inches are compatible with the upgrade kit.

Smart Home

Philips Hue lights have a rare discount, but there’s a catch

A TV with ambient backlighting from Philips Hue.

One of the cool things about Philips Hue lighting is how much freedom it gives you over creating the perfect ambiance in your home. One of the cool things about buying Philips Hue products over at Best Buy right now is how much freedom Best Buy is giving you over what you buy to save money. Right now, when you buy two or more select Philips Hue smart lighting product in Best Buy's offer builder, you can save 15%. Tap the button below to start building your own bundle and see all of the products available. While they don't include the best smart light bulbs that Philips produces, you'll be amazed by the versatility of the lightstrips. Or keep reading for an overview of some of the top picks from the bundle.

What you should purchase from the Philips Hue offer builder
The place to start with this deal is the and the if you don't already have them. These are the devices that take your movies, music, and games and syncs them to your lights.

Smart Home

Samsung’s futuristic Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum is $400 off

The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum cleaning the floor.

For families who need a lot of help in keeping their floors spotless, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ is an investment that you'll want to make. It's pretty expensive at its original price of $1,300, but a $400 discount from Samsung pulls it down to $900. It's still not cheap, but this futuristic robot vacuum could be the only device that you need to keep dirt, debris, and pet hair away from your sight. You're going to have to complete your purchase for it as soon as possible though, as there's no telling when the offer expires.

Why you should buy the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum
The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ checks all the boxes in the features that are recommended by our guide on how to choose a robot vacuum. It's equipped with powerful sensors and object recognition technology that allows it to avoid furniture when it's cleaning your floors, while LiDAR technology allows it to create accurate maps of the rooms in your home so that it can properly navigate and clean more efficiently. The robot vacuum also features a five-layer filtration system that allows it to release clean air, and when it's done, it goes back to its Clean Station where it empties its contents.