Viacom Uncovers 'Smoking Gun' In YouTube Case

NEW YORK — YouTube might be in big trouble.

In the latest development in a years-long copyright infringement case, plaintiff Viacom may have uncovered evidence that YouTube employees knowingly uploaded copyrighted content to the site.

Viacom, which owns Paramount and MTV, is pursuing a $1 billion lawsuit against the video-sharing giant.

Multiple online reports indicate that the evidence came in the form of emails among top YouTube brass that showed the employees discussing the existence of copyrighted material on their site and deciding not to remove it.

Such a revelation would constitute a major blow to YouTube's defense, which to date has rested on the protection provided by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. In essence, YouTube can't be held responsible for all of the activity on its site if site officials aren't aware of all the activity.

But if YouTube officials knowingly uploaded and knowingly allowed copyrighted material to remain on its servers, they could be held accountable not only to Viacom's claims, but also to a separate class-action claim being pursued by a content company.

Both actions are aimed at YouTube's parent company, Google.

"The facts … described could very well be the smoking gun that puts a hole through Google's case," said entertainment attorney Roger Goff, who isn't involved with the case. "[If the facts are accurate], Google will have a very difficult time claiming that [its staff members] don't undermine its protection."

YouTube's attorneys have countered that the amount of content discussed in the emails constitutes a fraction of total content exchanged on the site.

"The characterizations of the supposed evidence, made in violation of a court order, are wrong, misleading, or lack important context and notably come on the heels of a series of significant setbacks for the plaintiffs," YouTube spokesperson Aaron Zamost said. "The evidence will show that we go above and beyond our legal obligations to protect the rights of content owners."

Another argument that could endanger YouTube's legal standing is its seemingly surgical ability to remove explicit content — and only explicit content — from its servers. If YouTube is contending that copyrighted content is so hard to ferret out, why is it so easy to recognize adult content?

That contradiction has the potential to expose YouTube to greater scrutiny and more legal trouble, according to adult industry attorney Rob Apgood.

"They're responsible for the content that's on their servers," Apgood told XBIZ. "They can stop people from uploading anything. To throw their hands up and say they can't control it is rubbish."

Tech analysts speculate that the case will likely go to trial next year and may result in a settlement.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

Show More