Google Responds to Viacom Suit

MOUNTAIN VIEW, May 1: Viacom’s copyright infringement suit
against Google “threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately
exchange information,” the Internet company is arguing in a U.S. federal court
ruling.

In March, Viacom filed suit seeking more than $1 billion
in damages from Google and YouTube, alleging “massive intentional copyright
infringement of Viacom's entertainment properties.” In addition to the damages,
Viacom is seeking an injunction prohibiting Google and YouTube from further
copyright infringement.

According to Reuters, Google’s response notes: "By
seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet
communications, Viacom's complaint threatens the way hundreds of millions of
people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and
artistic expression.”

Google further noted that it and YouTube “respect the
importance of intellectual property rights, and not only comply with their safe
harbor obligations under the [Digital Millennium Copyright Act], but go well
above and beyond what the law requires.”