Google To Clamp Down On YouTube’s Copyright Issues

Google Europe vice president, Nikesh Arora, has told MPs at a select committee that the company would not tolerate copyright violations and that it would remove them when it takes over YouTube later this year.

Earlier this month, after Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion (£884 million) (see Google Buys YouTube), the video-sharing site signed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music and the Warner Music Group, which each bought small stakes in the company. However, Universal Music has also now launched legal action against two video-sharing websites, Bolt.com and Grouper.com.

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

“We intend to uphold copyright. We believe it is very important as part of the creative process,” said Arora. “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.”

YouTube received almost half of all visits to online video websites in September, compared to 11% for Google, according to Hitwise (see YouTube Is Most Popular Video Sharing Website In UK).

Google: 020 7031 3000 www.google.co.uk