Invasion of Privacy?

[Taem]

Ever upload copy written material onto YouTube? Well, you could be next in line for a civil suit:

Google Ordered to Hand Over All YouTube User Data

Ever check out YouTube? Have a user name and password for it? Then Viacom's going to find out all about what you like to watch.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the online video-sharing Web site, owned by Google, has to turn over all its user logs to Viacom, the mega-corporation that owns MTV, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central and VH1, among others.

Viacom sued Google last year, claiming that YouTube willfully infringed its copyrights by letting its users post clips from "South Park" and "The Daily Show" willy-nilly.

YouTube, citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, argues it doesn't have to take down those clips until Viacom complains about each and every one.

Viacom says that's bunk, and is joined in its lawsuit by the Premier League of England's Football Association, which doesn't like pro soccer highlights turning up on YouTube.

Judge Louis L. Stanton actually delivered a mixed ruling — he refused Viacom's demand that Google turn over YouTube's source code, the software that runs the site, agreeing with Google that that was a trade secret.

But he used Google's own argument, explained here on Google's own site, that revealing users' Internet Protocol addresses — which identify every single computer, server, cell phone or toaster connected to the Internet — does not constitute an invasion of privacy.

Google must now turn over all its data about YouTube visitors on four 1-terabyte hard drives, a staggering amount of data, as well as copies of all clips it has ever taken down. (One terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes.)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco organization that defends the rights of Internet users, quickly protested the ruling, saying it "threatens to expose deeply private information about what videos are watched by YouTube users."

Viacom wants the data to prove that copyrighted "stolen" material is more popular among YouTube visitors than original "user-generated" material.

It sought the source code to show that YouTube does have software in place to filter out some objectionable content — for example, YouTube manages to keep pornography and explicit nudity off the site — but chooses to allow copyrighted material as part of its business model.

There is no indication Viacom will seek to track down individual users. It would have to contact users' Internet service providers — for example, Time Warner Cable, Verizon or America Online — to do so, and it's not clear if the ISPs would be compelled to turn over the data, especially in a civil case.

Google is likely to appeal the ruling.

I'm not too worried as I have never uploaded copy written materials, but I have viewed tons, however I don't believe they can target viewers. Google will most likely be the one taking on the brunt of the penalties IMO.

[Flayer]

Well, it's all going to hell, isn't it? I am far too bitter about everything to give proper insight. If I were a reasonable person, perhaps that really would be enough to say that things are getting out of hand around here ('Earth').

Oh well.

Of course, I can hardly imagine this passing after an appeal, but I'll likely never hear the ruling of the appeal.

[[vL]Kp]

If you have learned nothing else from watching the RIAA[1] in action so far, you should have learned that they're not particularly bothered by the idea of trying out absurd legal theories with little or no basis in case law, just to see what will stick. Even supposing that there's nothing in U.S. copyright law to make the individual viewers liable for viewing the copyrighted material (which I doubt, given the laws passed in recent years), organizations like this will probably entertain the notion of pursuing suits against individual viewers if they think it will be worthwhile in the end (whether through the money gained directly or the terror inspired by the threat of legal action).

If Viacom truly needed the information only to prove that viewers had a bias toward Viacom-owned material, it could be done with anonymized statistics. Assign each user a unique serial number, report how many Viacom copyrighted videos were watched by that serial number and how many non-Viacom-copyrighted videos were watched by that serial number. Give no indication of what non-Viacom titles were watched or on what dates. Provide no way to correlate the serial number to an IP address, username, or any other way of identifying the viewer.


[1] Yes, I know this is about Viacom, not the RIAA. However, both have demonstrated similar behaviors with regard to absurd handling of copyright cases.

[kandrathe]

I'm not too worried as I have never uploaded copy written materials, but I have viewed tons, however I don't believe they can target viewers. Google will most likely be the one taking on the brunt of the penalties IMO.

They'll make examples of some highly visible offenders and scare it back onto torrents and peer2peer.

[[wcip]Angel]

Damn! I knew I shouldn't have seen all those "girls kissing"-clips.:(

[--Pete]

Hi,

. . . however I don't believe they can target viewers. Google will most likely be the one taking on the brunt of the penalties IMO.

You're probably right, but new technology gives rise to new laws or new interpretations of existing laws. Those that have a vested interest are always, if they're smart, going to try to get precedence set in their favor. It'll take a while for everything to shake down.

As for me, I've never expected privacy on the Internet.

--Pete

[Taem]

Angel' date='Jul 5 2008, 03:12 AM' post='150375']
Damn! I knew I shouldn't have seen all those "girls kissing"-clips.:(

Don't you mean two girls and one cup? :shuriken:

[Frag]

Don't you mean two girls and one cup? :shuriken:

Really? Really!? You had to go there? You are one sick cup of MEAT...

~Frag:P

[Archon_Wing]

Don't you mean two girls and one cup? :shuriken:

*Shoots a blessed hammer for mentioning that* Red alert, fire all weapons, and stop the microwave. I just had a nice dinner, damn it.
And so some would like time travel.

<span style="color:red"> And for the love of God or all that is good , do not google it if you don't know what it is.

[Taem]

*Shoots a blessed hammer for mentioning that* Red alert, fire all weapons, and stop the microwave. I just had a nice dinner, damn it.
And so some would like time travel.

And for the love of God, do not google it if you don't know what it is.

I thought I was being subtle enough in my first post that those who have not seen it would not get the joke (much less think to *look* it up), but you may have opened a can of worms. I take no responsibility for people loosing their lunch.

[Archon_Wing]

I already know what it is, but well, since people will be curious, I may as well just give a warning.;)
Props to urbandictionary for indirect info.:P

[Griselda]

We should probably mention that the reference is NSFW, and definitely not PG-13, either. :ph34r:

(in case you didn't figure it out by the above posts.)

[Archon_Wing]

Indeed, rating would be "unsuitable for anyone". Edited post to contain big bold red letters to indicate I mean Serious Business.

[Vandiablo]

What a shame that some people in the world go without fork and spoon.

<span style="color:red"> And for the love of God or all that is good , do not google it if you don't know what it is.

Aw, where's the harm in sharing some chocolate and some coffee ice cream on a steamy day??

However, as a person whose favorite ice cream flavor is coffee with chocolate ripple or syrup, I think it wise for me to go no further on this subject than wikipedia.

-V
Dessert Cook
The Forsaken Inn
"Our Frozen Confections are Cool!"