YouTube Told to Remove Viacom Content

NEW YORK, February 2: YouTube was today told to remove about
100,000 clips of content from Viacom-owned networks, after the two companies
failed to reach a deal.

According to Viacom, these clips have generated about 1.2
billion video streams. "After months of ongoing discussions with YouTube
and Google, it has become clear that YouTube is unwilling to come to a fair
market agreement that would make Viacom content available to YouTube
users," Viacom said in a statement. "Filtering tools promised
repeatedly by YouTube and Google have not been put in place, and they continue
to host and stream vast amounts of unauthorized video. YouTube and Google
retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair
compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create
it.”

YouTube has said it will comply with Viacom’s request.
"It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from
YouTube's passionate audience, which has helped to promote many of Viacom's
shows," a YouTube representative is quoted as saying in MarketWatch.

The file-sharing site has had several disputes with content
owners of late. Last month, Twentieth Century Fox subpoenaed the site seeking
the identity of a user who uploaded illegal copies of 24 and The Simpsons. Also in January, YouTube found itself in hot water
with Brazilian authorities over a sex video involving supermodel Daniela
Cicarelli.