Angry YouTubers say "sucks" to Viacom and other less polite things, Viacom responds : Tech Digest

Internet army, assemble! Viacom's spat with Google has been no secret, but with news that a US District Court Judge in the Viacom v. YouTube case ordered Google to turn over a log containing the user login IDs and IP addresses, together with details about videos being watched, the uproar is spilling into the streets. Well, virtual streets, at least.

YouTube is now awash with angry video protests proclaiming that "Viacom sucks", that the organisation is affiliated with a well-know right wing party originating in 1930's Europe, that it can "fuck off" and that YouTube users should boycott its products. Here's one:

Simple, clear and concise. This brain behind this clearly has a promising career at the Beeb.

I have now watched so many of these that my brain is beginning to dribble out of my sinuses, however, I was able to find a few opinions that ventured into the multi-syllabic. "The people you're going after are your customers, we're the people that buy your products, watch your TV shows and movies and listen to your music, and you are biting the hand that feeds you," states therealweeklynews. " Your beef is with YouTube, not the average YouTube user."

Google obviously isn't in a rush to shut down any of these anti-Viacom sentiments, which exploded over the 4th of July weekend and have continued unimpeded since then. Furthermore, the calls for boycott have reached the ears of Viacom, which has scrambled to try and turn the tide of negative PR threatening to engulf it.

A statement posted on the Viacom website reads "Viacom has not asked for and will not be obtaining any personally identifiable information of any YouTube user. The personally identifiable information that YouTube collects from its users will be stripped from the data before it is transferred to Viacom. Viacom will use the data exclusively for the purpose of proving our case against You Tube and Google."

Hmmm, might be too late to stop this runaway oil tanker of negativity now. Certainly the closing sentiment, through probably enforced by its lawyers, won't do a lot to change opinions: "YouTube and Google have put us in this position by continuing to defend their illegal and irresponsible conduct and by profiting from copyright infringement, when they could be implementing the safe and legal user generated content experience they promise."

I'll chime in by pointing out that other elephant in the room which is getting lost amidst privacy fears - Google already removes copyright infringing videos when requested. Viacom's lawsuit wants to make Google responsible for illegal use of copyright by its users. This is a serious threat to all the rights and freedom we currently enjoy on the internet; the privacy kafuffle is merely a sweetener.

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