"Google will have to turn over every record of every video watched by YouTube users, including users' names and IP addresses, to Viacom, which is suing Google for allowing clips of its copyrighted videos to appear on YouTube, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Viacom wants the data to prove that infringing material is more popular than user-created videos, which could be used to increase Google's liability if it is found guilty of contributory infringement.
...."

Link:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/judge-orders-yo.html

Are there *ANY* indications they are going to appeal/ fight it? The googleverse is strangely silent on that, yet the preposterousness of that Viacom's request beggars belief!

Either Viacom or the judge should be sued for attempting to invade privacy.

why should viacom know every video i have watched on youtube? if i did happen to watch material that was protected by copyright, i did not know and i was mislead by those who illegally posted the video(s).

Why would Viacom want every this information? For publicity for this case, they know everyone will talk about it AND it puts Google in the hot seat because they have to choose between fighting this judge's ruling or pissing off a huge user base. Either way, win for Viacom who is really into this petty BS. Even if you aren't a fan, when Howard Stern left WXRK for Sirius he fulfilled his end of the contract and after he left they decided that they didn't want to pay him for the rest of his contract. He won that in court. They didn't want to sell him his tapes and refused to for a year, what did they do with his tapes? Nothing except keep him from owning and playing them. They're asshats.

so let me get this straight an american court can determine that Viacom can look at the personal details of any youtube user? in most countries that does constitute violation of privacy. so how can it be judged to be a fair ruling?

Because our American judiciary is a joke.

i hate the world....

That's preposterous! Why does Viacom need to know who *watched* videos? Aren't they supposedly targeting people who *uploaded* videos?
How does knowing viewing habits help?

Ah, perhaps this explains it...
BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7488009.stm

"Viacom said it wanted the data to 'compare the attractiveness of allegedly infringing video with that of non-infringing videos.'"

Wait, so they want to violate the rights of every YouTube member just to gain market research?

"... [the court ruled] privacy concerns expressed by Google about handing over the log were 'speculative'. "

Speculative? How is this *not* clearly a violation?

I don't have the words to describe how dumbfounded I am by the stupidity of this judgment and the arrogance of Viacom.
Where can I sign the petition against this and notify Viacom of my boycott?!

The question is: why Viacom needs that data to prove "that infringing material is more popular than user-created videos"? Why do they need usernames at all? Each video on youtube is publicly showing the number of views. They can just search and sort those numbers for copyrighted material and user-created one.
Bunch of fools

I like SearchEngineWatch title : "Judge Protects Google Source Code, But Not YouTube Users". True.
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/080703-105214

I'm glad Google is trying to convince Viacom to let it anonymise the logs, but the way they're acting like jerks, I'm not too hopeful Google will gain any traction without further legal fighting.

I also find it... ironic? Sad? That the court and Viacom's gross violation of user rights comes the day before Independence Day in the US.

Even if Viacom wins this lawsuit, I don't think Youtube will go down.

The way the ruling reads, it sounds like Viacom wants the data on what videos are watched, but Google only has this data available on drives that have it associated with the IP and login names, so they are being ordered to turn all of it over. The alternative would have been to order Google to do a whole lot of work and turn over only dissociated data. Another possibility would be to order Viacom to certify that they will not retain any user data when their analysis is over. In fact, a massive user blitz to Viacom demanding that they commit to not keeping this data for other business purposes after this case is over might actually work if they have any PR sense whatsoever.

Many comments here already cover my feelings on this topic. Though I still have to throw in a quick..... "THIS IS BS!". I have to have faith that Google will somehow not let this happen.

I note that in this accounting of facts in the newspaper of record there is not even a hint of a mention of Google fighting Viacom tooth and nail. So much for "don't do evil," I guess; amend now that to "...let our lawyers talk to their lawyers and, if they can't work it out, we'll bend over."

» [...] "The information that is produced by Google is going to be limited to outside advisers who can use it solely for the purpose of enforcing our rights against YouTube and Google," Mr. Fricklas said. "I can unequivocally state that we will not use any of this information to enforce rights against end users." «
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2008/07/04/technology/04youtube.xml

Ianf: A years-long legal battle isn't tough enough for you? Of course the battle is also for Google's self-interest, but it's standing up for users, too.

Google is asking Viacom to let it at least anonymise the user logs, too.

I'm ready to sign up with a class action against Viacom. I don't trust them with my privacy.

Eff.org (The Electronic Frontier Foundation) has more information pointing to Viacom's press release etc.:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/07/viacoms-statement-youtube-user-data-controversy