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Premier League files court action against YouTube
England - 08 May, 2007
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Claiming YouTube encouraged postings of English Premier League footage, the league is filing suit against the internet clips site.
The Premier League and U.S. music publisher Bourne filed documents in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, claiming unspecified damages.
The lawsuit seeks class action status and asks for a disgorgement of profits made by the alleged actions, as well as unspecified damages.
It claims YouTube had consciously encouraged people to view content on its site in order to raise its profile, violating the material's commercial value. It is, the league said, a violation of their intellectual property.
TV, radio and internet rights packages will bring in GBP 2.7 billion for three year's rights. League matches are broadcast in 204 countries to an estimated global audience of 2.59 billion.
YouTube Inc, YouTube LLC and YouTube's corporate parent, Google, were listed as defendants.
"Defendants which own and operate YouTube have knowingly misappropriated and exploited this valuable property for their own gain without payment or licence to the owners of the intellectual property," the lawsuit said.
Google general counsel Kent Walker defended YouTube in a statement, saying the lawsuits "simply misunderstand the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which balances the rights of copyright holders against the need to protect internet communications and content.
"They threaten the way people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment, and political and artistic expression over the internet."
YouTube already faces a GBP 500 million lawsuit from media giant Viacom, accusing it of illegally showing clips from its TV shows – claims that are denied.
Several media companies have reached agreements to supply YouTube with clips, including CBS, General Electric's NBC Universal and the BBC, but many others remain reluctant to deal with the site because of copyright concerns.
The Premier League and U.S. music publisher Bourne filed documents in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, claiming unspecified damages.
The lawsuit seeks class action status and asks for a disgorgement of profits made by the alleged actions, as well as unspecified damages.
It claims YouTube had consciously encouraged people to view content on its site in order to raise its profile, violating the material's commercial value. It is, the league said, a violation of their intellectual property.
TV, radio and internet rights packages will bring in GBP 2.7 billion for three year's rights. League matches are broadcast in 204 countries to an estimated global audience of 2.59 billion.
YouTube Inc, YouTube LLC and YouTube's corporate parent, Google, were listed as defendants.
"Defendants which own and operate YouTube have knowingly misappropriated and exploited this valuable property for their own gain without payment or licence to the owners of the intellectual property," the lawsuit said.
Google general counsel Kent Walker defended YouTube in a statement, saying the lawsuits "simply misunderstand the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which balances the rights of copyright holders against the need to protect internet communications and content.
"They threaten the way people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment, and political and artistic expression over the internet."
YouTube already faces a GBP 500 million lawsuit from media giant Viacom, accusing it of illegally showing clips from its TV shows – claims that are denied.
Several media companies have reached agreements to supply YouTube with clips, including CBS, General Electric's NBC Universal and the BBC, but many others remain reluctant to deal with the site because of copyright concerns.
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