YouTube Removes Viacom's Clips, but Not All

Viacom, the media giant that owns such cable networks as MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon, has recently demanded that the video sharing site, YouTube, take more than 100,000 video clips off the site due to copyright infringement. Viacom estimates that the clips have accounted for 1.2 billion streams, or viewings on the popular website. However, many clips are still available on the site, even after YouTube claims it has complied with Viacom's wishes.

According to an Australian newspaper, Viacom has previously asked that YouTube remove clips of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last October, around the same time that YouTube was purchased by Google for an astounding 1.65 billion dollars. Viacom and YouTube, along with Google, had entered negotiations to make it possible for Viacom-produced clips to remain, but apparently, the talks have failed as of February 2, 2007, according to Forbes.

Viacom is demanding the clips be removed due to a failure to compensate the company for its copyrighted material. YouTube claims to be in the process of creating a filtering system to block the uploading of clips that violate copyrights, but so far, there is no filter in place. The YouTube website's specifically prohibits uploading any copyrighted material not owned by the user that is submitting the clip, but there is a problem with enforcement.

Viacom points out that YouTube filters for porn and hate, but yet can't seem to filter out copyright infringing material, according to a statement by Viacom's Executive VP for Corporate Relations, pointing to "an inconsistency there."

At this time of this writing, several offending clips that have not been removed. From Comedy Central, there are still clips from The Daily Show and Chappelle's Show, and from Nickelodeon, there are clips from an awards show. The MTV VMA Awards show clips are still viewable. Another Comedy Central comedy series, Reno 911, has been removed, "due to a copyright claim by Viacom International Inc." Earlier, the same disclaimer read "3^rd party" instead of Viacom.

Since YouTube's founding in February 2005, the site has become a fan-favorite, while becoming a thorn in many media companies sides. Recently, Newscorp, which owns FOX, sued YouTube for the identity of a user that uploaded clips from 24 and The Simpsons. The YouTube website does say that the identity of users is not protected, but under the parent company, Google, the company may wait twenty days before disclosing user information. CBS and NBC, as well as some music companies, have struck up agreements with YouTube to allow their content to appear on the website.

Sources - http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21171926%5E15306,00.html