Tech Shout!

Fox has reportedly sent a subpoena to YouTube requesting the site to provide identification information on the user who had uploaded the first episodes of 24’s sixth season as well as 12 episodes of ‘The Simpsons’.

Something like this was bound to happen. YouTube, being a free online video sharing web site, has thousands of users who upload many self-made videos. But, when users start uploading copyrighted material, then there is a big problem.

The subpoena reads: “On or about January 8, 2007, Fox became aware that a subscriber of YouTube Inc.’s Internet-based service uploaded prated copies of the works onto YouTube, making it available for illegal viewing over the Internet to anyone who wishes to watch it.

The videos were uploaded by a user called ECOTotal, and angered Fox to a great extent. In fact, is interesting to know that another video sharing web site called LiveDigital is in the same situation as YouTube, after receiving a similar request from Fox.

In both subpoenas, Fox alleges the trademark-infringing “24” videos were indeed pirated copies of this season’s first four episodes that were aired from January 14 to 15 on Fox. They were released on DVD on January 16, and then the “24” videos were spotted on YouTube and LiveDigital on January 8.

Problems related to copyrighted content posted by users has not been brought out in the open with regards to YouTube currently, but the moment Google acquired YouTube, there were several analysts who foresaw lawsuits connected with this topic.

As of now, YouTube belongs to Google, who has been trying to avoid copyright related problems.

The big question is whether YouTube can be held responsible for its video content or does this responsibility belong entirely to the users.