Google Viacom Battle Goes Public
March 19, 2010
I had heard that the “real cause” of the dust up between Google and Viacom dated from a meeting at which some Googlers disrespected some Viacom executives. Apparently the Math Club approach to hospitality (arriving late, not wearing a suit, and fiddling with a computing devices whilst “meeting”) was a courtesy and respect problem. After this Emily Post moment, Viacom became less flexible with things Google. One result was a $1.0 billion lawsuit, which the addled goose is happy to say is moving forward without any involvement.
When I read “Google Slams Viacom for Secret YouTube Uploads”, I realized that this spat is escalating. After all, what’s a billion here or there to outfits the size of Google and Viacom. Tossing around undergarments in public is more effective, and, if you are a member of the Math Club, a lot more fun.
For example, the write up said:
While it is still early in the legal battle it was clear that Google was determined to cast Viacom’s legal strategy as hypocritical by claiming several of the company’s own managers and agencies had continued to upload videos to YouTube. “Viacom routinely left up clips from shows that had been uploaded to YouTube by ordinary users,” said YouTube Chief Counsel Zahavah Levine, in a blog post.
The article then pointed out:
Viacom also accused Google and YouTube executives of hypocrisy, saying that they were aware of the extent of illegally uploaded videos to the site and did little to stop it as they sought to build their user base. “Google and YouTube were not just innocent and unwitting accomplices to infringement perpetrated by YouTube users,” Viacom said in the court documents. “Defendants operated YouTube with the unlawful objective of using infringing material to explosively build their user base and become the dominant video website on the Internet.”
Who will prevail? Google’s data carefully marshaled by the Math Club or the Viacom legal eagles’ knowledge of technology and online behaviors? Exciting but not as exciting as the NCAA Tournament for some of those involved in the legal shindig.
Stephen E Arnold, March 19, 2010
No pay writing. I will report this miserable state of affairs to the manager of the White House gym who, alas, does not eat at Cosi’s adjacent the OEB as frequently as President Bush’s gym manager did.
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