Video-sharing Web site YouTube will shield the identities of users when it hands over viewer data to Viacom and others involved in a $1 billion copyright-infringement lawsuit, according to an agreement.In addition, the agreement stipulates that Viacom and the other companies will not circumvent YouTube’s encryption in order to reveal identities.
Privacy and Internet experts said the case underscores the immense amount of information online companies collect - and retain - about users.
Earlier this month, Mountain View search giant Google, which owns YouTube, was ordered by a federal judge to release the information. More»

Labels: viacom, Youtube

Viacom wants to know which videos YouTube employees have watched and uploaded to the site, and Google is refusing to provide that information, CNET News has learned.
This dispute is the reason the two companies and lawyers representing a group of other copyright holders suing Google, have failed to reach a final agreement on anonymizing personal information belonging to YouTube users, according to two sources close to the situation.
As part of Viacom’s $1 billion copyright suit against Google’s YouTube, a More»

Labels: google, viacom

It is being reported that the man who held the toughest job at Google, Shashi Seth, head of monetization for YouTube has left the company for greener pastures - after only a year on the job.
“I think part of being a Googler is that you like smaller environments, and I think Google got a little big for me,” says Seth.
This is yet another indication that monetizing video is a lot harder than many thought it would be despite YouTube’s huge viral popularity and lead in the online video sharing market. Irrespective More»

Labels: google, viacom, Youtube

As the Viacom Google legal battle over YouTube clip copyright issues intensifies Google has tried to knock the rhetorical ball back into Viacom’s court stating today in papers filed with the judge that Viacom:
“threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression.”
In a nutshell the suit is a claim by Viacom that Google owned and controlled YouTube has remained very lax regarding the upload and distribution of copyrighted materials owned by Viacom, and that this has led to diminished revenues for Viacom, and More»

Labels: lawsuits, viacom