settlement Tuesday in a long-running
lawsuit claiming the Internet giant's
YouTube video-sharing site promoted
copyright infringement.
"This settlement reflects the growing
collaborative dialogue between our two
companies on important opportunities,
and we look forward to working more
closely together," a joint statement by
the companies said, without offering
details.
The suit dates back to 2007 when
Viacom accused the Google-owned
video-sharing division of using pirated
video clips to attract viewers.
It is among several similar lawsuits
against Google, which in recent years
has stepped up efforts to protect
copyrights.
The Viacom copyright case was closely
watched at the time, as film and
television studios grappled with
adapting to the ease with which digital
content could be shared on the
Internet.
Since the lawsuit was filed, online
streaming of shows and movies has
become common, and many creators
have formed alliances with services such
as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and others.
The Viacom lawsuit was merged with a
similar complaint being pursued by the
English Premier League, which said
football clips were also routinely posted
on YouTube without authorization.
Viacom's suit charged that YouTube was
a willing accomplice to "massive
copyright infringement" and sought
more than $1 billion in damages.
The suit was dismissed in June 2010 on
the grounds that YouTube was protected
against Viacom's claims by provisions of
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act but
appeals were pending.
The 1998 law protects Internet firms
from copyright violations by their users,
and the judge ruled that YouTube's
actions, such as quickly removing
infringing videos when requested, were
in line with the measure.
Viacom's film and television empire
includes many youth-oriented networks
like MTV and VH1, popular comedy
shows such as Jon Stewart's "The Daily
Show" and the Paramount movie studio.
YouTube was a year-old Internet
sensation when Google bought it in a
$1.65 billion stock deal in 2006. Initially
a source for sharing of home and
amateur videos, YouTube has gradually
added professional content and now
generates revenue from advertising and
paid channels.
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