Yahoo, Facebook Others Back YouTube In Copyright Lawsuit

Four large Web companies -- Yahoo, Facebook, eBay and IAC/Interactive -- are backing Google's YouTube in the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the service by Viacom.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Wednesday, the Web companies argue that YouTube is entitled to the safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which generally immunize online companies from liability when users upload material that infringes copyright.

Viacom sued YouTube in federal district court in New York in 2007, alleging that the site shoud be held responsible for infringing clips uploaded by users. Both sides recently asked for summary judgment.

Yahoo and the other companies argued on Wednesday that a ruling against YouTube would be a setback for all Web companies that allow users to create and post content. "Fear of liability could discourage many Internet service providers from developing platforms for use by the public at large," they write.

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