Viacom and Google (specifically YouTube) have been engaged in a legal battle for years, as Viacom accused the site of illegally hosting its property.

Though Viacom has lost this battle in the past, the media giant refused to accept the loss, and has continued the fight.

Google provided an update about the case on the Official YouTube blog, and it goes like this: “YouTube wins case against Viacom (again)”. In the post, Google SVP & General Counsel, Kent Walker, writes:

Today is an important day for the Internet. For the second time, a federal court correctly rejected Viacom’s lawsuit against YouTube. This is a win not just for YouTube, but for the billions of people worldwide who depend on the web to freely exchange ideas and information.

In enacting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Congress effectively balanced the public interest in free expression with the rights of copyright holders. The court today reaffirmed an established judicial consensus that the DMCA protects web platforms like YouTube that work with rightsholders and take appropriate steps to remove user-generated content that rightsholders notify them is infringing.

The growing YouTube community includes not only a billion individual users, but tens of thousands of partners who earn revenue from the platform — from independent musicians and creators to some of the world’s biggest record labels, movie studios, and news organizations. Today’s decision recognizes YouTube as a thriving and vibrant forum for all these users, creators and consumers alike. Today is an important day for the Internet.

Google shares the official Viacom Opinion court document here.

[Image via jm3, Flickr]