Movie studios target video site

[busybeeburns]

YOUTUBE litigation could spread to Australia, as movie studios fume over a local website that provides links to pirated television shows, music videos and movies.

 

Peekvid.com, which links to YouTube-hosted content including episodes of Home and Away, The Simpsons, Prison Break and Little Britain, and even entire movies, is in the firing line as copyright owners start to crack down on video piracy.

Google, which acquired YouTube for $US1.65 billion ($2.14 billion) last month, has already flagged its new acquisition as a likely target for lawyers, revealing that it has set aside more than $US200 million to protect itself from lawsuits.

 

It said it may face "costly" licensing agreements as a result of the takeover.

 

Google says it takes down copyrighted content when it is notified by rights holders.

 

Peekvid, which The Australian understands is based in Perth, provides direct links to pirated content hosted on YouTube, with videos playing in pop-up windows. The site also sells advertising and provides links to the ABC America series Desperate Housewives, MTV's Pimp My Ride and CBS shows such as Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven and Smallville.

 

It even links to a full version of the horror movie Saw 2, broken up into segments.

 

Peekvid has already been the target of the music industry's local enforcement body, which has successfully requested takedowns of music videos from artists including 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Anastacia.

 

The operator of the site did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Music Industry Piracy Investigations general manager Sabienne Heindl said record companies were concerned about the amount of pirated material on YouTube.

 

"It would be fair to say it's considered a large problem," she said. "There have been a number of issues for Australian artists."

 

Now 20th Century Fox is up in arms over Peekvid's links to episodes of The Simpsons.

 

The studio is a subsidiary of News Corporation, which publishes The Australian.

 

"We've a very active anti-piracy department looking at all infractions and considering what action to take," 20th Century Fox Television Distribution vice-president Richard Samuels said.

 

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20792268%5E27317%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15319,00.html

[RICK8]

Eh..what are ya gonna do