VIACOM vs. GOOGLE

This blog posting is referencing material we have covered in class. Last week we had an in class discussion on the legal showdown over copyright protection between Viacom and Google which I found very interesting. I was on the side of Google for this feud, which was basically about Viacom filing a $1 Billion lawsuit against YouTube, which is owned by the Google Company. Viacom, who owns channels like MTV and Comedy Central claims that clips of "South Park" and "The Colbert Report" have ben viewed over 1.5 Billion times, with no revenue coming to Viacom.

Being on the side of Google I had some arguments about the law suit coming from Viacom. First off, allowing the clips of the television shows could actually be helpful for Viacom. Allowing the clips to be seen anywhere can help generate a "buzz" for the shows and possibly increse their fan base. This increased fan base would boost ratings and generate a profi for Viacom. Additional viewers could also potentially spend money on season DVD's ect. One final argument, is that the $1 Billion being asked for is wayy too much money. If they want to have a chance of winning this law suit they need to seriousl decrease their asking price