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Google Ordered To Release Data On YouTube Users

The owner of YouTube has to turn over user login IDs, records showing when users watched videos, their IP addresses, and numbers that identify the videos.

By K.C. Jones
InformationWeek
July 3, 2008 01:07 PM

The judge hearing Viacom (VIAB)'s $1 billion copyright-infringement claim against Google has ordered its YouTube unit to provide user histories.

Google has to turn over millions of videos it has removed from the video-sharing site, user login IDs, records showing when users watched videos, their IP addresses, and numbers that identify the videos. The order applies not only to videos watched on YouTube but also to videos embedded on third-party Web sites.
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Google (NSDQ: GOOG) tried to argue that the request, for about 12 TB of data, was unduly burdensome, but U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton determined that it would be easy to copy. The search engine company also argued that Viacom's request for the information threatened user privacy because it would disclose viewing and video uploading patterns and link them with login IDs and IP addresses. Stanton characterized those concerns as "speculative" and said Google failed to provide legal justification for that argument.


Stanton did decide in Google's favor by turning down requests for proprietary information: indexes showing how Google organizes its videos and ads, as well as the source code for YouTube search, Google search, and the company's new video ID program.

The judge also ruled in Google's favor on two other points. He denied Viacom's request for titles, keywords, comments, and flags for inappropriate content, saying that request was too broad. He also declared that private videos uploaded by a user sharing with one other user are protected under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Viacom sought the records to prove its claim that YouTube and Google encourage or promote copyright infringement by its users. The case is being heard in federal court in Manhattan.
Privacy advocates said that YouTube users' privacy rights would be violated if the information is released.

[solefald]

Most likely Google will appeal this. This decision reminds me of a judge ordering Pirate Bay (or Torrent Spy, i don't remember which one) to turn in information from their servers RAM. Yes.... RAM!


Now, pardon my ignorance, but if this is a copyright infringement case, why would they need IP and username info of users who WATCHED the videos and not users who POSTED them? I understand they may want to determine how many times copyright was violated, but why would it require an IP address and username?

So what if i watched a video that violated copyright? What are they going to do? Sue me? Bring it on, Viacom!

[Spool]

Yup all this bullshit, land of the free?


This reminds me that the FBI flag certain books, and if you check out a series of it, they'll trace it back to you if a certain crime is committed and ur fucked...

[iatacs19]

It's a misconception, we have no freedom, only liberty.

[DougLikesBMW]

What the hell is all that shit saying?

[!Xoible]

wtf next they'll be going after post whores and their posts

[scottwww]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

What... is all that...saying?

It's saying that a judge ordered Google (the owner of YouTube.com) to hand over to the court a massive number of videos that are alleged to be in violation of copyright laws. Along with those videos, they would have to provide the electronic information that identifies everyone who uploaded or watched those videos.

Big brother is watching you watching YouTube. It reminds me of the ICU2 TV set. You think you are watching television, but what is also happening is they are watching what you are doing/watching. Maybe they will scrounge up some dirt.

[!Xoible]

this way they can bust any person in the US, reason is "you have watched youtube at some point in your life"

[Dubbedoutbimmer]

that all that bad porn you looked up will be displayed all over the courts

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by scottwww

It's saying that a judge ordered Google (the owner of YouTube.com) to hand over to the court a massive number of videos that are alleged to be in violation of copyright laws. Along with those videos, they would have to provide the electronic information that identifies everyone who uploaded or watched those videos.

Big brother is watching you watching YouTube. It reminds me of the ICU2 TV set. You think you are watching television, but what is also happening is they are watching what you are doing/watching. Maybe they will scrounge up some dirt.

Ah thanks, they should've just said that. I don't see what the point of all this is, sounds pretty stupid. Don't we have more important things to do?

Anyways, I think we should all move to Italy, here's why:
[NSFW]