(Originally Posted 2008)I'm all for respecting copyrights. As a writer and artist, I know how violated the creator of something feels when their stuff is stolen, tweaked, and then passed off as someone else's.
THIS, however, is just insanely funny. Brings back memories of Metallica going after 11 year olds for downloading their music. Ahhh.... Big business. I don't know about love but I can sure smell the greed! As pathetic as it is, though, I can't stop laughing at this article and at Viacom's words.
Especially this priceless comment: "Viacom said it had identified more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of copyrighted programming — including 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'South Park' and 'MTV Unplugged' episodes and the documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth" — that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times.' "
*GASP* Not 1.5 billion times! Oh, the horrorrrrr!!!! ROFLMAO Get the stick out your ass, Viacom. Why do you think the popularity in your less-than-mediocre shows is flourishing? Get over yourself long enough and you'll realize this is free publicity! Sit down, STFU, and join the rest of us in 2008.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GOOGLE: VIACOM'S YOUTUBE SUIT THREATENS FREEDOM
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
NEW YORK - A $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit challenging YouTube's ability to keep copyrighted material off its popular video-sharing site threatens how hundreds of millions of people exchange all kinds of information on the Internet, YouTube owner Google Inc. said.
Google's lawyers made the claim in papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan as the company responded to Viacom Inc.'s latest lawsuit alleging that the Internet has led to "an explosion of copyright infringement" by YouTube and others.
The back-and-forth between the companies has intensified since Viacom brought its lawsuit last year, saying it was owed damages for the unauthorized viewing of its programming from MTV, Comedy Central and other networks, including such hits as "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
In papers submitted to a judge late Friday, Google said YouTube "goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works."
It said that by seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet communications, Viacom "threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression."
Google said YouTube was faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying the federal law was intended to protect companies like YouTube as long as they responded properly to content owners' claims of infringement.
On that score, Viacom says Google has set a terrible example.
In a rewritten lawsuit filed last month, Viacom said YouTube consistently allows unauthorized copies of popular television programming and movies to be posted on its Web site and viewed tens of thousands of times.
Viacom said it had identified more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of copyrighted programming — including "SpongeBob SquarePants," "South Park" and "MTV Unplugged" episodes and the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" — that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times."
The company said its count of unauthorized clips represents only a fraction of the content on YouTube that violates its copyrights.
It said Google and YouTube had done "little or nothing" to stop infringement.
"To the contrary, the availability on the YouTube site of a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others is the cornerstone of defendants' business plan," Viacom said.
Let me state now that I cannot stand YouTube's handling of ANYTHING! They allow pedophiles and predators free reign to post child porn and comments with sick remarks about child rape. They do NOTHING to guarantee owners of videos not be ripped off, including companies like Viacom. So, that statement that they go beyond what they are expected to do is bullshit.
That being said, companies like Viacom are getting free publicity. I just don't understand why they can't get that through their heads. It's like when a writer of a book or screen play has to pay a company if they use their name or product in their story. WTF?! This is FREE publicity! It's a commercial that the company doesn't have to pay for! Bands and musicians demanded MySpace and other sites forbid the use of Project Playlist because the songs are not permitted to be shared online. WTF?! It's FREE PUBLICITY! Over half of the CD's I've bought in the last 2 years has been specifically because I heard songs on Project Playlist that I hadn't heard on the radio.
Seriously, Viacom, you are one big gigantic corporate dumbass! You and other companies like you can't see the forest for the trees because you're so damned greedy, and that is why you deserve a spot on my Moron list!
No comments:
Post a Comment