We all use YouTube. And we all know someone who posts videos on YouTube. In turn, we are all aware of the copyright laws that YouTube has to deal with all of the time.
In Berlin, Germany, it was ruled that Google had to put filters on YouTube to track down and stop users from putting up audio and video that they do not own the rights to.
It was ruled that Google was not at fault for the uploading of materials, but it was their responsibility to put an end to it.
Originally, GEMA officials wanted Google officials to go through all of the music in their position and remove all files that they do not have the rights to use. The judge in charge of the case shot down the demands made by GEMA officials.
Google responded by saying that the decision establishes that YouTube is simply “a hosting platform” and it is not responsible for the material put up by users. As a result, few changes are expected to be made to the free online service.
Google is going to come back to an old issue and begin negotiating again with GEMA over royalties. The two sides are not completely divided on the matters, but they are still quite a ways away from coming to terms.
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