Premier League sues YouTube

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The organisation said the video-sharing website had "knowingly misappropriated" its intellectual property by encouraging footage to be viewed on its site.

The English Premier League and US music publisher Bourne launched the legal action in the US District Court in Manhattan, New York, claiming unspecified damages.

The lawsuit seeks class action status and asks for a disgorgement of profits made by the alleged actions, as well as unspecified damages.

They said YouTube had consciously encouraged people to view content on its site in order to raise its profile, violating the material's commercial value.

Named as defendants are YouTube Inc, YouTube LLC and YouTube's corporate parent, Google.

The lawsuit said a scheme by which website visitors could access, view, and otherwise exploit copyrighted materials without having to pay their owners made the site valuable enough for Google to pay £532m to buy YouTube in November.

In a statement, Google general counsel Kent Walker defended the site, saying: "These suits simply misunderstand the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which balances the rights of copyright holders against the need to protect internet communications and content.

"They threaten the way people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment, and political and artistic expression over the internet."

The combined TV, radio and internet rights to show live Premier League games and highlights over the next three years fetched £2.7bn in a series of auctions, making protecting its right a priority for the Premier League bosses.