YouTube must hand over the details of every clip every user has EVER watched

[NJNetz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The firm must reveal the date and time of every clip seen, together with login and computer IDs – triggering claims ‘Big Brother’ is watching users.

YouTube, owned by search engine Google, was ordered to surrender the data as part of a £500million copyright battle with media giant Viacom.

The legal battle is taking place in the US but the ruling is expected to apply to YouTube users worldwide.

Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation called the ruling a “set-back to privacy rights”.

The EFF said: “The Court’s erroneous ruling will allow Viacom to see what you are watching on YouTube.

“We urge Viacom to back off this overboard request and Google to take all steps necessary to challenge this order and protect users’ rights.” The EFF added the ruling could even be unlawful – as the log contained personally identifiable data.

The privacy row blew up last year when MTV and Paramount Pictures-owner Viacom demanded YouTube take down 100,000 TV and movie clips which breached its copyright.

Viacom claimed the real figure was nearer 160,000 – and they had been viewed more than 1.5 billion times. It wants the new data to prove the illegal clips are more popular than user-generated videos.

The US judge also ruled Google must reveal all videos that have been removed from the site for any reason.</div>
Source

 

[Hang Eleven]

That is definitely going to be going down very hard. But I wonder what they plan to do with the data? Sue all the millions of people who saw the videos?

 

[bbwMax]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hang Eleven @ Jul 5 2008, 06:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>That is definitely going to be going down very hard. But I wonder what they plan to do with the data? Sue all the millions of people who saw the videos?</div>

Exactly what i thought. I often use Youtube to watch Top Gear and certain clips. Record labels, Film Companies etc are just trying to squeeze every last penny they can get. I wouldn't be surprised if Youtube brought out some sort of Premium Service which tyou have to pay for.

 

[Lavalamp]

Wow seems like something is going to happen with this big lawsuit and a US court demanding this stuff.

 

[pegs]

LAME.

Oh well, you know people are just gonna move on to another video site. (A la Napster to Limewire?) There's always megavideo...I think.

 

[GMJ]

I mean the only people who would be liable are the people providing the content, not watching them. If anyone has any reason to be worried it's my nuts.

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[huevonkiller]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ Jul 5 2008, 12:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I mean the only people who would be liable are the people providing the content, not watching them. If anyone has any reason to be worried it's my nuts.

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Wow Jigga you're only 21? You sound a bit more mature/older than that.

Also, I agree completely with you. It is kind of like when the NBA/whoever shut down raptorsnation for broadcasting NBA games. The viewers didn't get in trouble, their site simply got messed up.

 

[Lavalamp]

Well I`d have to imagine that in order to sue at least 50+ millions of viewers would be incredibly difficult. As well, the viewer could always say it was my roommate who did it, or my cousin, or friend, etc.

 

[TheBeef]

as far as I know, personal information wont be included, usernames will be as far as it goes, no real names or contact info....its mostly so they can tell how many times certain clips are watched and calculate revenue loss, but even that is a flawed number, because they count every person watching as potential customer, but in reality, most of those people would have just skipped it if they had to pay for it....

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef @ Jul 5 2008, 02:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>as far as I know, personal information wont be included, usernames will be as far as it goes, no real names or contact info....its mostly so they can tell how many times certain clips are watched and calculate revenue loss, but even that is a flawed number, because they count every person watching as potential customer, but in reality, most of those people would have just skipped it if they had to pay for it....</div>

Yes but isn't that sort of a slippery slope, because if they have your username, can't they find your IP address as well?

 

[Hang Eleven]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The firm must reveal the date and time of every clip seen, together with login and computer IDs</div>

That looks like some personal information to me. If they include IP addresses in the information, then it's cakewalk to track down the location of the person.

 

[TheBeef]

Viacom says they arent interested in individual users, just overall numbers....even if they trace it by IP address, theres no way they can prove who was at the keyboard....