Google must hand over YouTube data to Viacom after court ruling

Google is to be forced to release the records of every video watched on YouTube, including user names and web addresses, to entertainment company Viacom after a US federal court ruling.

Viacom, which is pursuing a $1bn (£500m) copyright infringement lawsuit against Google, wants the information to determine the amount of copyright material on YouTube. The disclosure could increase Google's liability if Viacom wins the court case.

Google had argued that turning over the YouTube data would invade users' privacy. However, US district judge Louis Stanton ordered the internet company to hand over video records and information including login names and internet protocol addresses.

Viacom failed, however, in a bid to also secure access to the search engine giant's source code, on the grounds that doing so would threaten Google's business.

"YouTube should not be made to place this vital asset in hazard merely to allay speculation," said Stanton.

Viacom filed the $1bn lawsuit against Google in March last year on the grounds that YouTube has built a business on allowing users to upload masses of copyright material.

Google argues that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which protects companies from copyright infringement by users as long as illegal material is taken down once notified, protects it.

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