Google ordered to hand over Youtube User Information

That's right. Since the fair majority of us use Youtube on a near daily basis, I thought I'd bring this lovely little court order to your attention.

I have two links which paint a very interesting albeit sinister picture on Viacom's part. If you have ever uploaded a video, favorited a video, heck even WATCHED a video, Viacom wants Youtube's IP logs of such actions. As well as every video ever removed for any reason.

Not only is this illegal as it violates as the EFF agreement, which is discussed in the first link.

Article on the court order behind this link


Here is another link that also paints an interesting picture of what Viacom actually asked for, as opposed to just what they got


Discuss and hopefully, Youtube will continue to protect it's user's privacy.

 

Wait what? Just to find out the copyright infringment?! Why not let that pass through?! People watch it almost everyday and NOW they are telling us?! This is hella messed up!

 

I was reading this earlier on on another site.

This is such ****ing bullshit, they can bite my ass if they want anything regarding me or my account. Especially if it concerns my IP address.​

 

Yeah, this is total Bullshit and they don't have a right to do that. I hope Youtube fights more against it and Viacom drops over dead somewhere and gets kicked in the head a few dozen thousand times. Things like this just get me going.

 

What shows or games or whatever is associated with Viacom?

 

So they wanna know my username, IP, and every shity video I ever watched. Viacom, eat my ****. I hope Anonymous gets involved with this.

 

Has anyone else heard about the related story where (in the UK at least) the music industry is asking the ISPs to rat out their customers that download or share music illegally? Virgin Media sent out letters to the people whose ISP addresses came up in their search and apparently they have been threatened with having their service cut off. Which was also apparently a mistake xD

I can see why they would want to protect their own property, but there is also the need to protect peoples privacy in this all too transparent world of ours.

 

Yeah, I heard about that too, Bunterx. I do think some strategies are going to have to be thought out when it comes to downloading music and all anymore because the more they try to 'stop us' the more it just is going to keep happening. Music corporations are actually a lot more **** about it than most of the actual artists are because even some artists have said they go to get music or check out new videos etc on youtube. In a way I am amazed at the power of these music corps, but at the same time, they are weakening and trying to flex all they have. These people are just going to have to learn to find their money elsewhere as even artists are molding to the changes and just charge more to go see their live shows. It makes sense for the artists to do that but the places like the RIAA of course don't get as much money from it and the artists make more than they do working with the RIAA and other corps.

The internet is a power for communication and transportation of data. However, I think our privacy is a lot more important than some corporations' rights are because for years most of them have really screwed over artists any way. When even the artists admit it, you know it sucks.

 

But it has to be remembered that the logs of Youtube accounts viewings will be anonymous. They won't (or rather, shouldn't) be able to connect it to IP addresses. All they want is to see if the illegal content is more popular viewing than the legal. If it is then they will be able to accuse Google of profiting off of gross copyright infringement.

 

Going along with what you said about the artists, some groups even encourage their fans to go and download the music. Trent Reznor has put the latest album from NIN in its entirety on the internet. Deathstars has put 4 videos on their official site for download. I don't know what Whiplasher or any other members of the group have said on the issue of youtube but I think it's almost inevitable that they'd end up on Youtube. I know 'Cyanide' has been removed from youtube by Deathstars' record company.

I just think asking for the IP addys of the users is wrong. That plainly violates the users right of privacy. Viacom is even asking for the Ips of users who put up 'private videos'. It could be pirated material true but it could also be family videos that you only want family to see. Such as a father putting up his daughter's 6th birthday party but he privates it so only his family could see it and not every pedophile with a computer.

And I think it's a good point you made about the artists making more money now than with the RIAA. If they have to charge more for their live shows or do more fundraising stuff ie t-shirts then let them. I remember when music wasn't about money but it was about the music and about having people to listen to your music. Sadly, it's all about the money and with the price of gas driving up the price of everything else. It's going to be hard for fans to travel to see concerts that are in the major cities.

 

This angers me to no end. I uploaded like 7 AMV's to my channel. This is gonna be fun.

 

thats just messed up
they shouldn't have the right to do that
whats the point anyways?

 

this is bullshit why would they want our junk xD its just freckin videos GOSH!!!!!! wats so bad about videos!!!! there just VIDEOS!!! VIDEOS!!!!​

 

I actually heard about this eariler today =\ Sad ****.

Though I have one question, does it start tracking after this order is passed? Or everything before it too?

 

Just one more step in getting rid of our freedoms. How fun.

Not only does this monitor what videos you upload, it also monitors what videos you watch, rate, view, reply to, and all that fun stuff. Pretty much everything.

I was thinking of using Youtube for some AMV's, but I kinda changed my mind. *facepalm* I hate this stupid thing.

@Split/Pepto: Since everything people do on youtube is logged anyways (literally, everything has always been logged no matter what), it's likely they will either start doing it right away, or they'll just hand over everything since the beginning of when logging started.

 

Because I don't have an account atm, and I do see videos from there.


But still...this is ghey.

 

This s*** is f***ed up all the way. Youtube is supposed to be a f***ing video portal where ppl can watch watever s*** that's on there.

F*** Viacom. I hope the company blows up and I hope the ppl who though of this lawsuit bulls*** write a f***ing apology note or something and get shot in the head or something.

They want my IP, they can suck my **** and kiss my f***ing a**.

On the other hand, we can stop griping about this and go to Dailymotion or something <<

I dunno, nothing beat utube...

 

That's the point, they don't! That's why we're all so pissed! This is so aggravating!

*Applauds* That sums up my thoughts pretty well.

 

This annoys the heck out of me. It wouldn't surprise me if half or more of the people at Viacom had freakin' accounts themselves!

 

I agree.

I think this is only happening because Youtube is the biggest video sharing website on the web... Plus it was sold for 1.6 billion shares.

Sadly, it's slowly becoming a media center for video sharing. Kinda saddening, really.