Did Googlers Upload Viacom Videos To YouTube?

Viacom wants to know if anyone with Google or YouTube happened to push some of the content company’s work onto the video sharing site.

Those who have been concerned about privacy and the idea of Viacom perusing YouTube viewing records include a distinct group of insiders, who may have more reason than most to be concerned about uploads of South Park or The Colbert Report.

CNET said Google is digging in against Viacom after a judge ordered Google to hand over private viewing data. Google wants to anonymize it first, but failed to hammer out an agreement with Viacom on doing so with regards to YouTube employees.

YouTube and Google stand to lose big if Viacom discovered any employees of those firms uploaded Viacom content. CNET said that activity may cost YouTube whatever potential Digital Millennium Copyright Act protection existed for it.

Without that DMCA protection, YouTube’s defense likely falls apart. With a billion dollar case at stake, any uploading by YouTube insiders may cost the site much of what it made when Google acquired it. Add in legal costs, and YouTube could cost Google double what it paid to purchase the site.

Google has long resisted making search data immediately anonymous, opting instead to keep it for 18 months before doing so. Such obstinacy may cost it ten figures in this case.