Copyright Lawsuit against Veoh Networks Dismissed

September 15, 2009

Los Angeles - U.S. District Judge Howard Matz has dismissed the 2007 lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group against Veoh Networks Inc. for supporting and inducing copyright infringement.

Veoh, an online video site operator founded in 2004, has various licensing agreements with major media companies such as Viacom Inc., Time Warner Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Sony Corporation’s music entity.

It does not have any licensing deals with Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group PLC or Universal Music Group. But Veoh regularly removes Universal artists' music videos when given notice by the recording company.

In dismissing Universal’s complaint, Judge Matz held that Veoh was taking reasonable steps to prevent and take down infringing videos uploaded by its users which gave it protection from copyright suits in federal law.

Universal Music Group however maintains that the federal court’s decision runs contrary to precedent and the intent of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act enacted in 1998. Universal said it will appeal the decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.