Lawyer: YouTube is facing unjustified action
YouTube users are indignant, too. They maintain that Viacom, a powerful giant that owns Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Studios brands and the MTV network, wants to charge fees even for viewing. For its part, Viacom describes YouTube as “pirates” who violate copyright. There is a clear conflict of interests. Millions of Internet users do not wish to overpay for expensive DVDs and support free-of-charge viewing on YouTube. Producers and authors believe that YouTube is robbing them. Hanna Zharabtsova, a lawyer from Belarus who specializes in the copyright laws, says that the plaintiff has no chances to win the case, because YouTube users do not violate the copyright.
"The internet laws and the associated copyright are rather precarious. On the one hand, the internet provides an opportunity for a free access to art. On the other hand, if this art is posted on a web site, there is no guarantee that someone will use only for private purposes. Under the international and Belarusian laws, if someone uses it for private purposes, this person does not have to pay. But if it is used for commercial purposes, royalties should be paid.
I think that Viacom’s position does not make enough sense for two reasons. Firstly, it is presumed that users are considered innocent if not proved otherwise. Secondly, users have already sued copyright owners over the overcharged subjects of the copyright: CDs and DVDs. However, I think they still remain too expensive for ordinary consumers, thus forcing people to download them from the internet”, Hanna Zharabtsova says.
“We will not tolerate piracy in any form, including YouTube”, Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone, said in a statement. Google, the owner of YouTube, said that by filing this lawsuit Viacom threatens the freedom of speech in the internet. The battle of giants will also affect our interests, the interests of ordinary users.
