Viacom vs. Google (Class Discussion)

The other day in class we had a debate over the Viacom vs. Google lawsuit that is going on. Viacom, who owns MTV and Comedy Central, is claiming that over 160,000 clips that have appeared on YouTube, and viewed over 1.5 billion times, have been illegaly obtained. It should be interesting where this case goes, as it will be the benchmark for the future of digital media. Google claims that they remove the files that Viacom feels is not rightfully theirs, immediately after a complaint is made. The problem however, is that users can make copies of the clips and repost them. For this reason, I feel that it will be extremely difficult for Viacom's case to hold up. Only time will tell what happens, but I can only cross my fingers for Google and YouTube, as I am a religious user of YouTube! Check this website for more information regarding the ongoing disagreement. Viacom creates address for sending YouTube complaints.