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Google Stares Down Viacom, Copyright

How do the boys keep YouTube from turning into Napster?

By Greg Atwan, Newser User

Posted Apr 2, 2007 7:51 AM CDT

(Newser) – With Viacom incubating "the biggest copyright lawsuit in history" against YouTube, the video-sharing site is beginning to smell a bit like Napster. Which leads Clive Thompson to ponder in New York why the Google boys decided to acquire YouTube—and its looming crisis—last year. And why, once they had, they decided to stare down Sumner Redstone instead of sharing revenue.

Thompson opines that Google's provocative decision was based on "nerd logic," the belief "that smart ideas deserve to trump dumb ones," and that established rules of intellectual property shouldn't interfere with the free flow of ideas--or in this case, comedy. What will come of the suit? Both Google and Viacom might actually benefit from a truce that would keep the legality of YouTube fuzzy, Thompson argues.

Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page, the founders of Google. (KRT Photos)

' (Getty Images (by Event))

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Google Stares Down Viacom, Copyright

How do the boys keep YouTube from turning into Napster?

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Related Blog Posts

media • Google • Internet • Viacom • YouTube • Web 2.0 • intellectual property • copyright • Sumner Redstone

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Google: Viacom Uploaded Own Clips to YouTube, Then Sued

Accusations fly in YouTube copyright-infringement showdown

Google, YouTube Knockoffs Hit China

Chinese government to face Google—and Goojje

Google Moves In on Online Music

Search giant to partner with streaming/download services

YouTube Reaches 'Well Over' 1B Views Per Day

Google subsidiary takes the opportunity to gloat

Thank Beck, Internet for Van Jones Uproar

Strategy deflected attention from Jones' Beck boycott

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Newser By Users

Community

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What is Newser?