Spain’s Telecinco TV Channel Sues YouTube, Seeks Damages
By Robert Andrews - Fri 20 Jun 2008 01:22 AM PST
Joining the Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and TF1 lawsuits, Spain’s Telecinco channel is the latest to sue YouTube, claiming intellectual property infringement. Mario Rodriguez, general secretary of the country’s number-one network, said “YouTube was hurting Telecinco by airing episodes of popular television shows which the chain holds the rights to before it broadcast them in Spain”, AFP paraphrased.
In other words, the allegation goes, overseas dramas to which Telecinco has rights, like the CSI franchise, are cropping up on the site. Rodriguez demanded “economic compensation”: “YouTube does not deny the systemic infractions of rights which are carried out in its website but it defends itself by saying they are committed by its users, not by it.” In Telecinco’s own news story on the topic, CEO Paolo Vasile calls for a “colossal figure” of damages. YouTube said it works closely with broadcasters but said the TV channel hadn’t actually notified it about illegal material - something that might make Telecinco’s case difficult to stand up in court. France’s TF1 is also currently seeking €100 million ($155 million) from YouTube and is suing Dailymotion, complaining that Heroes, to which it has French rights, is too prevalent on the sites.
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Tags: telecinco,
