Viacom

YouTube, the biggest online video Web site, has been missing much of the action as studios move full-length TV shows and movies to the Web. But this may be changing: YouTube announced Monday that movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) will show some of its archive on the popular video site.

The fare will be free for viewers, accompanied by ads. Initial titles from MGM include episodes of the American Gladiators TV series, full-length films such as Bulletproof Monk and The Magnificent Seven, and clips from movies like Legally Blonde.

Rolling Out Content Slowly

In the second of a back-to-back move to generate more ad revenue from YouTube, Google is serving up what it calls "full-length TV dinners." A new deal with CBS makes it possible, with episodes of Dexter, Beverly Hills 90210, and Star Trek on deck.

RealNetworks is feeling heat from the movie studios involving its just-released RealDVD software, and is firing back with a lawsuit.

RealDVD lets consumers store, manage and play DVDs on computers. Think of it as a DVD backup, since the software does not let users distribute copies of DVDs.

In the days after Sarah Palin was nominated as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, the Web was rife with content focused on the Alaska governor. One of the most piquant -- and widely viewed -- video clips came from The Daily Show. In it, host Jon Stewart highlighted Palin doublespeak by conservative pundits. He showed, for instance, a clip of Bill O'Reilly calling the pregnancy of Palin's teen daughter a private issue just months after the Fox News commentator had lambasted actress Jamie Lynn Spears' parents for allowing their 16-year-old to get pregnant.

In the face of heavy pressure from privacy advocates, Google on Monday announced a new policy on retention of data.

The latest privacy plan centers on a promise to anonymize IP addresses on Google's server logs after nine months. That slashes the data-retention policy in half to -- as Google explained it -- address regulatory concerns and take another step to improve privacy for its users. But Google is not saying how it is making the addresses anonymous.

In a first-of-its kind decision, a California federal court has dismissed a copyright-infringement lawsuit against online video-sharing site Veoh Networks. IO Group, an adult entertainment company, filed the suit against Veoh, alleging the site displayed its content in violation of copyright laws. But Magistrate Judge Howard Lloyd of the U.S. District Court in San Jose ruled against the gay-porn distributor on Wednesday.

In a ruling that could have implications for Viacom's $1.65 billion lawsuit against YouTube, a California federal court on Wednesday dismissed a copyright-infringement lawsuit against online video-sharing site Veoh Networks.

IO Group, an adult entertainment company, had sued Veoh, alleging the site was displaying its content in violation of copyright laws. Veoh had uploaded IO Group's content without permission.

Media giant Viacom took its fight to the public this week seeking to outline battle lines in its $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube's parent, Google. Viacom filed the lawsuit in March 2007 alleging that YouTube purposefully allowed Viacom's copyrighted content to be distributed on the site. The suit was filed after negotiations between Google and Viacom over licensing content fell apart.

If you were concerned that your YouTube viewing habits were about to be revealed to the world as part of the Viacom lawsuit against Google, you may rest easier.

A Google spokesperson told The New York Times and other news media on Monday that the two companies have agreed how to share data about YouTube during Viacom's copyright-infringement lawsuit and still protect the privacy of users. Last year, Viacom sued Google and its YouTube site for $1 billion, alleging unauthorized use of video clips from Viacom properties.

YouTube users are up in arms about Viacom's legal victory forcing Google to hand over data showing which videos they watch and when.

The backlash follows U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton's ruling last week that Google must supply Viacom with the records as part of the discovery phase in a $1 billion lawsuit alleging copyright infringement.

While the court denied Viacom's request for YouTube's source code, Stanton did require YouTube to hand over the user information. As a result, YouTube users are calling for a boycott of Viacom.

A Social Media Tit for Tat