It’s been three years since Viacom went after YouTube for the Viacom videos being on the site. Today a judge threw out the lawsuit:
Today, the court granted our motion for summary judgment in Viacom’s lawsuit with YouTube. This means that the court has decided that YouTube is protected by the safe harbor of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) against claims of copyright infringement. The decision follows established judicial consensus that online services like YouTube are protected when they work cooperatively with copyright holders to help them manage their rights online.
This is an important victory not just for us, but also for the billions of people around the world who use the web to communicate and share experiences with each other. We’re excited about this decision and look forward to renewing our focus on supporting the incredible variety of ideas and expression that billions of people post and watch on YouTube every day around the world.
In a nutshell the Judge said that there is a legal route for copyright owners to file their complaints with websites they feel are infringing upon their property and that they must follow that route. It doesn’t mean you can go and upload a Daily Show clip to YouTube. It means that if you do, then Viacom must send a takedown notice to YouTube and YouTube must investigate and comply.
For those interested in the full decision, here it is: