MTV and Comedy Central owner Viacom is demanding that Google deletes more than 100,000 videos from GooTube.

And, "As it has with the similar request from other companies, Google removed the Viacom clips from the YouTube site yesterday," says The New York Times, also saying, "While such companies regularly ask YouTube to remove their material, Viacom’s demand, which it disclosed in a statement circulated by e-mail, was the most militant and public move of its kind so far."

The row, "underscored the tense dance that major media companies are doing with Google, which bought YouTube for $1.65 billion last October," says the story. But, "Google hopes to strike deals that will give it the rights to mainstream programming and also wipe away its potential liability for any violations of copyright law by YouTube so far."

This is, though, hardly more than public posturing while the many and variojs Coproate Powes that B publicluy posture as they try to figure out new ways to milk you and I, their consumer cash cows, because DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) consumer control isn't working.

"We cannot continue to let them profit from our programming," the NYT has Viacom ceo Philippe P. Daumansaying. Mr. Dauman said that Viacom had been in discussions with Google for months, but that Google kept delaying and did not make what Viacom saw as a serious offer."

Viacom demands come, "at a time when it and other media companies have contemplated creating a service to rival YouTube," says the story, adding:

"It was not clear yesterday how Viacom’s demand might affect the rest of the industry and whether other media companies would follow suit."

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Also See:
The New York Times - Viacom Tells YouTube: Hands Off, February 3, 2007