|
YouTube privacy at risk in Google-Viacom ruling |
|
|
Written by Daniel
|
|
Thursday, 03 July 2008 |
|
Google scored a legal victory in keeping its search source code secret from Viacom, but YouTube users were not so fortunate with their privacy. July 2, 2008 6:45 PM PDT C/Net news
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the search giant doesn't have to turn over the code to Viacom, which filed a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against Google in 2007. In granting Google's motion for a protective order, U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton in Manhattan agreed with Google's characterization of the source code as a trade secret that can't be disclosed without risking the loss of business.
"YouTube and Google should not be made to place this vital asset in hazard merely to allay speculation," the judge said. "A plausible showing that YouTube and Google's denials are false, and that the search function can and has been used to discriminate in favor of infringing content, should be required before disclosure of so valuable and vulnerable an asset is compelled." [Comments...]
|