Youtube to hand over all user histories and IP addresses!

[destrucci?]

Judge Orders YouTube to Give All User Histories to Viacom | Threat Level from Wired.com

Judge Orders YouTube to Give All User Histories to Viacom
By Ryan Singel EmailJuly 02, 2008 | 7:16:54 PMCategories: Copyrights and Patents

Google will have to turn over every record of every video watched by YouTube users, including users' names and IP addresses, to Viacom, which is suing Google for allowing clips of its copyright videos to appear on YouTube, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Viacom wants the data to prove that infringing material is more popular than user-created videos, which could be used to increase Google's liability if it is found guilty of contributory infringement.

Viacom filed suit against Google in March 2007, seeking more than $1 billion in damages for allowing users to upload clips of Viacom's copyright material. Google argues that the law provides a safe harbor for online services so long as they comply with copyright takedown requests.

Although Google argued that turning over the data would invade its users' privacy, the judge's ruling (.pdf) described that argument as "speculative" and ordered Google to turn over the logs on a set of four tera-byte hard drives.

The judge also turned Google's own defense of its data retention policies -- that IP addresses of computers aren't personally revealing in and of themselves, against it to justify the log dump.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has already reacted, calling the order a violation of the Video Privacy Protection act that "threatens to expose deeply private information."

The order also requires Google to turn over copies of all videos that it has taken down for any reason.

Viacom also requested YouTube's source code, the code for identifying repeat copyright infringement uploads, copies of all videos marked private, and Google's advertising database schema.

Those requests were denied in whole, except that Google will have to turn over data about how often each private video has been watched and by how many persons.

[JackWhoseHe]

Pretty bs!

[Mr.Lucifer]

People are getting less and less privacy on the internet. Seriously, it annoys me a lot. Just look at what Sweden just did, and that EU thing where everything you do electronically is stored for years. Of course not for the same reasons, but that's not the problem. For each new directive, judge or government who decides to have our personal information the chance of it getting misused or stolen gets larger.

[Colby]

I don't want MY IP address in the hands of people I don't know for a supposed crime I had nothing to do with. What a load of BS, seriously.

[Chokichi]

That's BS its a privacy invasion which im pretty sure is a human right !

[Liquidfox]

Google owns Youtube? Slowpoke here, but if google owns youtube then why is there google video or did they take that down??

[Unknown-]

LOL.

IP ADDRESS = NOTHING THAT CAN HARM. Funny.

[doin my thang]

Originally Posted by Liquidfox

Google owns Youtube? Slowpoke here, but if google owns youtube then why is there google video?

most google video videos are just links to youtube videos
at one time it didn't own youtube so it started google video but then the two merged and instead of suspending google video services they just integrated the two

[StarStarMoon]

Originally Posted by Unknown-

LOL.

IP ADDRESS = NOTHING THAT CAN HARM. Funny.

they would probably make a few charts and if the results show that infriged material is viewed > then original material, lots of companies could sue youtube/google


whats so bad about people having ure ip?

i mean mods on these forums can see em i think...

[destrucci?]

Just makes wonder if they will try to base any cases off this info or if they could share it with other companies for $$. Just think of all the cases and dumbfounded judges that have no idea that you can't use ip addresses as a solid way to identify a person. Also usernames on that site don't really identify a person also. This could be bad.

[death song]

US needs stronger protections on privacy. Right now all we are entitled to is privacy in situations where we expect privacy. So the more they invade our privacy, the less privacy we have a right to. All it takes is a few fringe judges like this to completely destroy every protection. I don't usually make "slippery slope" arguments, but in this case I think it is justified.

[RyuKasumi]

Well according to speedtest it think my Ip is in the south of England..Just look at my Location <<

Besides, i dont think ive done any copyright crimes o.o

[HiyaVu]

Upon signing up to youtube, they state (dunno extact quote) that they will not give out personal information, its like a contract you sign to.

If google has given it, we can legally sue google, but at the same time, google can sue the court/judge for force breaching the contract without the persons permission.

[destrucci?]

The contract is voided if you view copy written material since it is stored in your browsers when you watch it they can argue that you dled illegal material. It would however be impossible to prove.

[Ghos7Soldier]

Originally Posted by destrucci?

The contract is voided if you view copy written material since it is stored in your browsers when you watch it they can argue that you dled illegal material. It would however be impossible to prove.

I say it's a load of bull****.

They did this, and not only will youtube/google have a lot of people to deal with but so will the ****tards who called this decision.

I don't want my PRIVATE information handed over because of someone elses call.

I don't care if my videos are infringing on rights or anything, take em down. I had my transporter video taken down because of that and I didn't really mind. Rules are rules, but I DON'T want my private information to be given to someone else because they want to be whiny assholes.