The internet is taking a new trend where it is increasingly becoming hard to dodge being sued or to sue. This time it’s the big boys-Google and YouTube who are being sued.
According to an Italian media conglomerate Mediaset Group, YouTube and Google videos have been hosting thousands of video clips that belong to Mediaset illegally. The company has forthwith sued YouTube up to tunes of US$780 million.
Google who is the parent company of YouTube is also is also named in the lawsuit filed in a civil court in Rome.
According to Mediaset, there are 4,643 video clips on YouTube belonging to Mediaset as of June 10 2008.
This totals more than 325 hours of material, owned by Mediaset. The company now says that its three Italian TV stations have lost 315,672 viewing days as a result of these clips being hosted on YouTube. Even the US$780 million claim does not take account of the loss of advertising revenues from the shows.
Mediaset is the main Italian commercial television network with headquarters in Milan, Lombardy. The network was founded by Silvio Berlusconi, but today it is controlled by his family through Fininvest which has as major shareholder Silvio Berlusconi himself.
Many of its studios are located in Milano 2, the area of Milan that first started showing TeleMilano (known now as Canale 5).
Due to its close proximity, Malta, an island off of Sicily also receives broadcasts.
Source NewYork Times
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
