YouTube was already being sued by a proverbial giant in the form of Viacom. Now some flesh-and-blood tough guys want a shot: YouTube (and its “corporate parent,” Google) is facing a lawsuit from the Football Association Premier League.
Known also as the English Premier League, the soccer players’ organization “is the top division of English soccer that is broadcast in 204 countries worldwide and viewed by audiences estimated at 2.59 billion people.” And yes, you do have to be careful with the soccer-football thing while referencing European entities.
Still, in reference to the YouTube suit, the Premier League has filed in a New York federal court, and has requested “a court-ordered injunction to prohibit the defendants from continuing to violate various copyright laws.” It is also asking for the ever-popular “unspecified damages.”
Perhaps equally threatening, though, is the launch of YouTubeClassAction.com, to which the English Premier League has invited anyone else who feels slighted by the video sharing site. An indie music publisher known as Bourne Co. has already responded, and, while this suit may never achieve quite the corporate heft of Viacom’s attack, other companies are sure to join.
On a slightly odd note, the class action site has for some reason made known that the songs “Let’s Fall in Love” and “Smile” are two of Bourne’s “notable classics.” But it seems like these music publishers and English soccer players are making war, not love, and it’s certain that executives at Google and YouTube aren’t smiling over this latest lawsuit.
