Google will not tolerate copyright breach by YouTube

Google is addressing the content issue that many have cited as possible potential downfall for YouTube and other videoclip-based social media websites. YouTube's growth has in part been fuelled by the thousands of clips from old TV shows and music videos that are uploaded illegally by its users.

Nikesh Arora, Google Europe vice-president, has told MPs at a select committee that his company would not tolerate copyright violations.

Earlier this month, YouTube signed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music and the Warner Music Group, which each bought small stakes in the video-sharing site, partly as an effort to ward off any future copyright problems.

However, Universal Music has also this month launched legal action against two video-sharing websites, Bolt.com and Grouper.com.

Recently, YouTube deleted more than 30,000 illegal videoclips from its site after several Japanese media companies accused the site of copyright infringement.

The website is known to regularly remove videos at the request of copyright holders, although there is speculation that Google will face more stringent legal challenges once the takeover goes ahead.

Arora told the Commons select committee: "We intend to uphold copyright. We believe it is very important as part of the creative process.

"It is evident from our policy as part of Google Video, Google News or Google Book, any acquisition in the future is not going to change Google's view on copyright."

Google snapped up YouTube earlier this month for $1.65bn (£884m) and the deal is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Google said that YouTube would continue to operate as a separate company and retain all employees.

Youtube received 46% of all visits to online video websites in September, compared with 11% for Google, according to Hitwise.

YouTube had 58,000 users in August last year but is now visited by around 12m a month, according to ComScore MediaMetrix.

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