Viacom Will Sue You
July 3, 2008 by Mike Abundo
Filed under Computers
Viacom just sacrificed your privacy to further their billion-dollar legal harassment of YouTube. US District Court Judge Louis Stanton just ordered YouTube to hand Viacom all personal information of all YouTube users. That includes names, IP addresses, viewing histories, everything.
YouTube, of course, argued that this would violate your privacy. Stanton dismissed that argument as “speculative”.
Yes, you read that right. Judge Louis Stanton says that the privacy implications of handing all your personal information to Viacom are merely “speculative”.
Speculative. Speculative! As a tech blogger, I’ve heard a lot of stupid things from a lot of stupid people over the years. Stanton’s statement has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. How the fuck did this guy become a judge? How much did Viacom pay Stanton to say something this stupid?
Why the Hell would Viacom need all your personal information for these legal proceedings? Purportedly, it’s all part of Viacom’s fishing expedition to prove their claim that most of YouTube’s views came from Viacom content.
Viacom obviously doesn’t need your personal info for that purported purpose, and they know it. I don’t think Viacom really wants to prove their claim. Having your personal info and viewing history will enable them to do something far more sinister.
With your name and viewing history, Viacom can sue you just for accidentally clicking through to an MTV clip on YouTube. In fact, given how indiscriminately Viacom takes down YouTube videos, they’ll probably sue you for watching any clip on YouTube.
This isn’t about the law at all. In fact, it’s against the law — specifically the Video Privacy Protection Act. This is about spreading fear.
Apparently, Viacom isn’t satisfied with terrorizing YouTube uploaders through indiscriminate takedowns. They’re stepping up their campaign by terrorizing every YouTube viewer through lawsuits.
If Viacom gets your YouTube info, they can and probably will sue you. Viacom versus YouTube just became Viacom versus you. Will you let Sumner Redstone take your house away?
How popular is Viacom gonna be? As popular as Metallica!
Dude, this will make Metallica look like the Peace Corps.
Yep Mike, I was also following that case and when I read the decision a few days ago I only had one reaction “DUMBEST DECISION EVER”.
Here’s the quote of the 21st Century: (In response to Google YouTube’s Privacy Concern) “It is merely SPECULATIVE” by US District Court Judge Louis Stanton, 2008-July, 21st Century.
It should be in the Guinness World Records too.
With due respect Mr. US District Court Judge Louis Stanton, PRIVACY > Psychological Warfare of VIACOM.
Do you have stakes in VIACOM huh?
Read this everyone: YOUR PRIVACY IS NOT VALUED BY THE US AND IS NOT VIACOM’S CONCERN. GO F*CK YOURSELF. PRIVACY YOUR FACE.
The top brass at google must have shit for brains if they didn’t realise they were infriging
copyright laws but this is why they paid a hansome price for youtube they thought they
could get away with it but what does’t surprize
me is they are not prepared to take the rap
but will happily drop all there users into a meat
grinder and there really isn’t any exscuse for
not protecting copyright material as they could
of filtered it but theres only one company i know of that could tag the copyrighted material before
it is veiwed and its called Blinkx so the obvious
solution for google if they want to save youtube is to either use the technology of Blinkx.com or
just buy the company outright problem solved.