14 DAY TRIAL // The US District Court for Central California has reached an interesting decision in a case involving online video sharing site Veoh and Universal Music Group. The judge ruled that the site was protected from claims of copyright infringement under the “safe harbor” provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. While the decision by itself isn't of that great importance, as Veoh is hardly an important player in the online video market, it could pave the way for a similar decision in the $1-billion suit Viacom filed against YouTube.
“This is a great victory for Veoh that allows us to continue our focus on innovation in online video, unshackled by the distraction of this lawsuit,” Veoh Networks Founder and CEO Dmitry Shapiro said.
“From an industry perspective, this decision is a big deal as well, as we now have a second clear victory showing that companies who work diligently to respect property owners and the DMCA will be able to run their businesses and be successful without the fear of those select content owners who may be uncomfortable with emerging technology,” he added.
The judge found that the site took the appropriate steps when notified of a copyright infringement and that that the measures it had in place both to filter content that might be infringing but also for removing it if it made it to the site were “reasonable means” of protection against infringement. The judge also believed that the site didn't have to bare the full burden of actively filtering all of the content and policing its site, especially if it meant it would make it financially unviable.
UMG is likely to appeal the decision possibly dragging the suit for another extended period of time. While the suite has no legal binding for the one between Viacom and YouTube, as they weren't filed in the same district, still, it could bode well for YouTube, as its policies were quite similar to Veoh's, so a judge might be swayed to take the same decision.