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Case 1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document 1 Filed 03/13/07 Page 1 of 27
`Case1:07-cv-02103—LLS Document1
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT§5mf
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`FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW C
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`COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION, INC.,
`
`Civil Action No.
`
`COMPLAINT FOR
`DECLARATORY AND
`
`INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
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`VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.,
`COMEDY PARTNERS,
`
`PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION,
`and BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION
`
`LLC,
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`Plaintiffs,
`
`V’
`
`YOUTUBE, INC., YOUTUBE, LLC, and
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`GOOGLE INC.,
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`Defendants.
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`Plaintiffs Viacom International Inc., Comedy Partners, Country Music Television,
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`Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, and Black Entertainment Television LLC (collectively,
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`“P1aintiffs”), by and for their Complaint against Defendants YouTube, Inc. and YouTube,
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`LLC (collectively, “YouTube”), and Google Inc. (“Google”) (all collectively, “Defendants”),
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`aver as follows:
`
`INTRODUCTION
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`1.
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`Over the past decade, the emergence of broadband networks, Internet protocol
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`and inexpensive wireless networks has revolutionized the way Americans inform and
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`entertain themselves. Millions have seized the opportunities digital technology provides to
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`obtain creative works and to express themselves creatively. Entrepreneurs have made
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`fortunes providing the networks,
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`the tools and the creative works that have fueled this
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`revolution. But these same innovations have also been misused to fuel an explosion of
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`copyright
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`infringement by exploiting the inexpensive duplication and distribution made
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`possible by digital technology. Some entities, rather than taking the lawful path of building
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`businesses that respect intellectual property rights on the Internet, have sought their fortunes
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`by brazenly exploiting the infringing potential of digital technology.
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`2.
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`YouTube is one such entity. YouTube has harnessed technology to willfully
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`infringe copyrights on a huge scale, depriving writers, composers and performers of the
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`rewards they are owed for effort and innovation, reducing the incentives of America’s
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`creative industries, and profiting from the illegal conduct of others as well. Using the
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`leverage of the Internet, YouTube appropriates the value of creative content on a massive
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`scale for YouTube’s benefit without payment or license. YouTube’s brazen disregard of the
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`intellectual property laws fundamentally threatens not just Plaintiffs, but
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`the economic
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`underpinnings of one of the most important sectors of the United States economy.
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`3.
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`YouTube’s website purports to be a forum for users to share their own
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`original “user generated” video content.
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`In reality, however, a vast amount of that content
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`consists of infringing copies of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, including such popular (and
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`obviously copyrighted)
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`television programming and motion pictures as “SpongeBob
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`SquarePants,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” “South Park,”
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`“Ren & Stimpy,” “MTV Unplugged,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Mean Girls,” and many
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`others. Unauthorized copies of these and other copyrighted works are posted daily on
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`YouTube and each is viewed tens of thousands of times. As Dow Jones reported, “[i]t’s no
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`secret that millions of Internet users every day watch copyright-infringing video clips on
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`

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`YouTube.” Market Watch by Dow Jones, October 20, 2006.
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`In fact, Plaintiffs have
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`identified more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of their copyrighted programming on
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`YouTube that had been viewed an astounding 1.5 billion times. And that is only a small
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`fraction of the content on YouTube that infringes Plaintiffs’ copyrights, because as described
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`below, YouTube prevents copyright owners from finding on the YouTube site all of the
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`infringing works from which YouTube profits.
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`4.
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`Defendants actively engage in, promote and induce this infringement.
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`YouTube itself publicly performs the infringing videos on the YouTube site and other
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`websites. Thus, YouTube does not simply enable massive infringement by its users.
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`It is
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`YouTube that knowingly reproduces and publicly performs the copyrighted works uploaded
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`to its site.
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`5.
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`Defendants know and intend that a substantial amount of the content on the
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`YouTube site consists of unlicensed infringing copies of copyrighted works and have done
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`little or nothing to prevent this massive infringement. To the contrary, the availability on the
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`YouTube site of a vast library of the copyrighted works of Plaintiffs and others is the
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`cornerstone of Defendants’ business plan. YouTube deliberately built up a library of
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`infringing works to draw traffic to the YouTube site, enabling it to gain a commanding
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`market share, earn significant revenues, and increase its enterprise value.
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`6.
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`YouTube has deliberately chosen not to take reasonable precautions to deter
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`the rampant infringement on its site. Because YouTube directly profits from the availability
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`of popular infringing works on its site,
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`it has decided to shift the burden entirely onto
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`copyright owners to monitor the YouTube site on a daily or hourly basis to detect infringing
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`videos and send notices to YouTube demanding that it “take down” the infringing works.
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`In
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`the meantime, YouTube profits handsomely from the presence of the infringing works on its
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`site. And even after it receives a notice from a copyright owner, in many instances the very
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`same infringing video remains on YouTube because it was uploaded by at least one other
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`user, or appears on YouTube again within hours of its removal. YouTube has deliberately
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`chosen this approach because it allows YouTube to profit from infringement while leaving
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`copyright owners insufficient means to prevent it.
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`7.
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`Moreover, YouTube has deliberately withheld the application of available
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`copyright protection measures in order to coerce rights holders to grant it licenses on
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`favorable terms. YouTube’s chief executive and cofounder Chad Hurley was quoted in the
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`New York Times on February 3, 2007, as saying that YouTube has agreed to use filtering
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`technology “to identify and possibly remove copyrighted material,” but only after YouTube
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`obtains a license from the copyright owner. Geraldine Fabrikant & Saul Hansell, Viacom
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`Tells YouTube: Hands Ofi’, N.Y. Times, Feb. 3, 2007, at C1. Those who refuse to be coerced
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`are subjected to continuing infringement.
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`Id.; see also Saul Hansell, A Bet That Media
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`Companies Will Want to Share Ad Revenue, N.Y. Times, Sept. 30, 2006, at C1.
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`8.
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`YouTube has also implemented features that prevent copyright owners from
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`finding infringing videos by searching the YouTube site. YouTube thereby hinders
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`Plaintiffs’ attempts to locate infringing videos to protect their rights. At the same time,
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`YouTube allows its users to make the hidden videos available to others through other
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`YouTube features like the “embed,” “share,” and “friends” functions.
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`In this way, YouTube
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`continues to profit from the infringement, while hindering Plaintiffs from preventing it.
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`9.
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`Defendant Google recently purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion, generating
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`extraordinary riches for YouTube’s founders and investors.
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`In recognition of the undeniable
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`reality of massive infringement on the YouTube site, Google has reportedly issued
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`substantial equity and entered into expensive licenses with certain providers of copyrighted
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`content.
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`10.
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`Defendants’ infringement has harmed and continues to harm the interests of
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`authors, songwriters, directors, producers, performers, and many other creators.
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`If left
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`unchecked, rampant infringement will gravely undermine Plaintiffs and other companies that
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`generate creative works, and will threaten the livelihoods of those who work in and depend
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`upon these companies. Plaintiffs therefore have no choice but to seek immediate redress.
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`Plaintiffs
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`seek a declaration that Defendants’ conduct willfully infringes Plaintiffs’
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`copyrights,
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`a
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`permanent
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`injunction
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`requiring Defendants
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`to
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`employ
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`reasonable
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`methodologies to prevent or limit
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`infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights, and statutory
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`damages for Defendants’ past and present willful
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`infringement, or actual damages plus
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`profits, of at least one billion dollars.
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`JURISDICTION AND VENUE
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`11.
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`This is a civil action seeking damages and injunctive relief for copyright
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`infringement under the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.
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`12.
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`This Court has original subject matter jurisdiction over all claims pursuant to
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`28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338(a).
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`13.
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`This Court has personal
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`jurisdiction over Defendants.
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`Google does
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`continuous and systematic business in New York and this District.
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`It maintains an office and
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`employs personnel in New York and this District, and is thus physically present in the state.
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`See N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 301. On information and belief, YouTube also does continuous and
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`systematic business in New York and in this District. See id. All Defendants have also
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`

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`transacted business within New York and contracted to supply goods or services in New
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`York in connection with the matters giving rise to this suit. See id. § 302(a)(1). Defendants
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`have also committed infringing acts outside of New York causing injury to Plaintiffs in New
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`York, and Defendants regularly do or solicit business in New York, and/or derive substantial
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`revenue from goods used or services rendered in New York, and/or expect or reasonably
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`should expect their infringing conduct to have consequences in New York and derive
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`substantial revenue from interstate commerce. See id. § 302(a)(3).
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`In addition, Plaintiffs
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`Viacom International Inc. and Comedy Partners have their principal places of business in
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`New York and in this District, and have been injured in New York by Defendants’ infringing
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`conduct.
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`14.
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`Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ l39l(b), (c) and
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`1400(a).
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`PLAINTIFFS AND PLAINTIFFS’ BUSINESSES
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`15.
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`Plaintiff Viacom International Inc. (“Viacom”), one of the world’s leading
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`creators of programming and content across all media platforms, is a Delaware corporation
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`with its principal place of business in New York, New York.
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`16.
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`Plaintiff Comedy Partners, an affiliate of Viacom,
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`is a general partnership
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`formed in New York with its principal place of business in New York, New York.
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`17.
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`Plaintiff Country Music Television,
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`Inc., an affiliate of Viacom,
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`is a
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`Tennessee corporation with its principal place of business in Nashville, Tennessee.
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`18.
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`Plaintiff Paramount Pictures Corporation, an affiliate of Viacom,
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`is a
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`Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Los Angeles, California.
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`19.
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`Plaintiff Black Entertainment Television LLC, an affiliate of Viacom,
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`is a
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`Washington, D.C.
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`limited liability company with its principal place of business in
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`Washington, D.C.
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`20.
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`Plaintiffs are among the world’s preeminent creators, producers and
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`distributors of copyrighted television programming, motion pictures, short form audiovisual
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`works and other entertainment programming, who have invested and continue to invest many
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`millions of dollars annually to create and disseminate these works because the Copyright Act
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`protects their economic incentive to do so and tens of millions of consumers desire to
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`experience the works. Plaintiffs distribute and publicly perform those works, and/or license
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`them for distribution and/or public performance, by telecast on cable and satellite television
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`systems, in motion picture theaters, on DVD and other video formats, through their own
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`websites and various authorized intemet distribution channels, and over cell phones and other
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`portable devices, among other ways. Plaintiffs’ television channels and trademarks include
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`MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, MTV Tres, Nick at Nite, Noggin,
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`TV Land, CMT, mtvU, Nickelodeon, The N, and BET. Plaintiffs’ motion picture labels
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`include Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, Paramount Vantage, MTV Films,
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`and
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`Nickelodeon Films.
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`21.
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`Examples of legitimate licensed channels for the distribution of Plaintiffs’
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`programs include Apple’s iTunes Music Store, which sells secure digital downloads of
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`television shows from several of Plaintiffs’
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`television networks; Joost, an advertising-
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`supported, lnternet-based television service; and numerous others that currently exist or are
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`just emerging. The shows distributed through these licensed on-line distribution charmels
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`include “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” and “South Park” from
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`

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`Comedy Central; “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “Dora the Explorer,” among others, from
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`Nickelodeon; and “Beavis and Butthead,” “Laguna Beach,” and “Jackass,” among others,
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`from MTV.
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`22.
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`Plaintiffs also offer streaming video clips of many of their most popular
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`television
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`shows
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`and
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`other works
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`through
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`their
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`own websites,
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`such
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`as
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`www.comedycentral.com. Plaintiffs derive advertising revenue and other benefits from the
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`Internet traffic generated by the availability of these video clips on their websites.
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`23.
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`Defendants’ conduct directly and secondarily infringes the copyrights in
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`works owned by or exclusively licensed to Plaintiffs that are the subject of valid Certificates
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`of Copyright Registration from the Register of Copyrights, including but not limited to those
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`listed on Exhibit A attached to this Complaint.
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`DEFENDANTS AND THE INFRINGING YOUTUBE SERVICE
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`24.
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`Defendant YouTube, Inc. is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of
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`business in San Bruno, California.
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`25.
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`Defendant YouTube, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with its
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`principal place of business in San Bruno, California. On information and belief, YouTube,
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`LLC is the successor in interest of YouTube, Inc. YouTube, Inc. and YouTube, LLC are
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`referred to collectively herein as “YouTube.”
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`26.
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`YouTube is a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of Defendant Google
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`Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Mountain View,
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`California, and a place of business in the State of New York and this District. Pursuant to a
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`transaction that was publicly announced on October 9, 2006, and closed on November 13,
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`2006, Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion.
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`

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`27.
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`Defendants
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`operate
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`a website
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`called
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`“YouTube,”
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`located
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`at
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`www.youtube.com, one of the most prominent and popular websites on the Internet. The
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`recent $1.65 billion acquisition price for YouTube reflects the website’s enormous
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`popularity. YouTube’s value, however, is built largely on the unauthorized appropriation
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`and exploitation of copyrighted works belonging to others, especially Plaintiffs. As a result,
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`a large part of YouTube’s Value is directly attributable to the availability of Plaintiffs’
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`copyrighted works on YouTube’s website.
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`28.
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`Google exercises substantial and continuing control over the continuing acts
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`of YouTube that form the subject matter of this complaint. Google’s press release at the time
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`of the closing of the $1.65 billion acquisition announced that YouTube would stay “on the
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`same course” and, on information and belief, Google determined to have YouTube continue
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`to withhold measures to prevent the massive copyright infringement known to be taking
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`place on the site. Google has also recently launched a feature on Google’s own website
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`whereby a search for videos returns thumbnails and results for videos on YouTube, thereby
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`participating in, inducing, contributing to, and profiting from the infringement on YouTube.
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`Additional massive damages to plaintiffs and others have been caused by Google’s
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`preservation and backing of YouTube’s infringing business model.
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`NATURE OF THE ACTION
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`29.
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`Under Section 106 of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. (the
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`“Copyright Act”), Plaintiffs have the distinct, severable, and exclusive rights to, among other
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`things, reproduce, publicly perform, and publicly display their copyrighted works. 17 U.S.C.
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`§§ 106(1), (4), (5)-
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`

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`30.
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`YouTube is a self-described “consumer media company” that “deliver[s]
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`entertaining, authentic and informative videos across the Internet.” YouTube Dec. 15, 2005
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`Press
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`Release
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`(available
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`at
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`http://wvvw.youtube.com/press_room_entry?entry=
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`OcN9xXYar1g). Defendants encourage individuals to upload videos to the YouTube site,
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`where YouTube makes them available for immediate viewing by members of the public free
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`of charge. Although YouTube touts itself as a service for sharing home videos, the well-
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`known reality of YouTube’s business is far different. YouTube has filled its library with
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`entire episodes and movies and significant segments of popular copyrighted programming
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`from Plaintiffs and other copyright owners, that neither YouTube nor the users who submit
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`the works are licensed to use in this manner. Because YouTube users contribute pirated
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`copyrighted works to YouTube by the thousands, including those owned by Plaintiffs, the
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`videos “deliver[ed]” by YouTube include a vast unauthorized collection of Plaintiffs’
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`copyrighted audiovisual works.
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`31.
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`Though the videos available on YouTube are uploaded by users in the first
`
`instance, upon upload the videos become part of the YouTube library for performance and
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`display on YouTube’s own website, which Defendants control and directly profit from.
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`When a user uploads a video, YouTube copies the video in its own software format, adds it
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`to its own servers, and makes it available for viewing on its own website. A user who wants
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`to view a video goes to the YouTube site by typing wvvw.youtube.com into the user’s web
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`browser, enters search terms into a Search and indexing function provided by YouTube for
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`this purpose on its site, and receives a list of thumbnails of videos in the YouTube library
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`matching those terms. YouTube creates the thumbnails, which are individual frames from
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`videos in its library — including infringing videos — for the purpose of helping users find what
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`10
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`they are searching for. For example, users looking for Plaintiffs’ popular works might type
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`in search terms such as “MTV,” “Stephen Colbert,” “Beavis and Butthead,” or “SpongeBob.”
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`YouTube then returns a list with thumbnails of matching videos in its library, and the user
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`can select and view a video from the list of matches by clicking on the thumbnail created and
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`supplied by YouTube for this purpose. YouTube then publicly performs the chosen video by
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`sending streaming video content from YouTube’s servers to the user’s computer, where it
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`can be viewed by the user. During the entire experience, YouTube prominently displays its
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`logo, user interface, and advertising to the user. Thus, the YouTube conduct that forms the
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`basis of this Complaint is not simply providing storage space, conduits, or other facilities to
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`users who create their own websites with infringing materials. To the contrary, YouTube
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`itself commits the infringing duplication, public performance, and public display of
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`Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, and that infringement occurs on YouTube’s own website,
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`which is operated and controlled by Defendants, not users.
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`32.
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`YouTube also allows any person to “embed” any Video available in the
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`YouTube library into another website (such as a blog, MySpace page, or any other page on
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`the web where the user can post material). To do this, the user simply copies the “embed”
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`code, which YouTube supplies for each video in its library, and then pastes that code into the
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`other website, where the embedded video will appear as a television-shaped picture with the
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`YouTube logo prominently displayed and a triangular icon that any user can click to play the
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`video. When a user clicks the play icon, the embedded video plays within the context of the
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`host website, but it is actually YouTube, not the host site, that publicly performs the video by
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`transmitting the streaming video content from YouTube’s own servers to the viewer’s
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`computer.
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`11
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`33.
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`YouTube also makes it possible for a user to share an embedded video by
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`clicking the word “share” that is displayed with the video. After clicking “share,” the user is
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`taken to a location on YouTube’s own website where there is a form for entering the email
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`addresses of persons to share the video with. YouTube then sends an email to each person
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`listed in that form, with a link that takes the recipient to YouTube’s own site to View the
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`video. These embedded videos therefore act as a draw to attract users to YouTube.
`
`34.
`
`Because of its prominent display of YouTube’s logo and the share function
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`that draws new users to YouTube’s own website,
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`the embed function has contributed
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`significantly to the explosive growth in YouTube’s popularity, network, and enterprise value.
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`But the videos that YouTube publicly performs and displays through the embed function to
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`draw users back to YouTube’s own site are frequently the most popular copyrighted works
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`created and owned by Plaintiffs, not YouTube.
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`35.
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`YouTube and its users have not received a valid license, authorization,
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`permission or consent to use the registered copyrighted works owned by Plaintiffs that have
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`appeared and continue to appear on the YouTube website and are at issue in this action,
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`including but not
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`limited to those listed on Exhibit A hereto.
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`Instead,
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`in violation of
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`Plaintiffs’ rights under copyright law, YouTube has willfully, intentionally, and purposefully
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`reproduced, publicly performed, and publicly displayed the copyrighted works, and/or
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`knowingly facilitated, enabled, induced, and materially contributed to infringing uses thereof,
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`and/or refused to exercise its ability to control or supervise infringing uses thereof from
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`which it obtains direct financial benefits.
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`36.
`
`Defendants have actual knowledge and clear notice of this massive
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`infringement, which is obvious to even the most casual visitor to the site. The rampant
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`12
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`infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights on YouTube is open and notorious and has been the
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`subject of numerous news reports. See, e. g., Saul Hansell, A Bet That Media Companies Will
`
`Want to Share Ad Revenue, N.Y. Times, Sept. 30, 2006, at C1. YouTube’s site is also filled
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`with “red flags” from which infringing activity is apparent, such as description terms and
`
`search tags using Plaintiffs’ well-known trademarks and other terms identifying their popular
`
`copyrighted works.
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`Indeed, the presence of infringing copyrighted material on YouTube is
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`fully intended by Defendants as a critical part of their business plan to drive traffic and
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`increase YouTube’s network, market share and enterprise value, as reflected in the recent
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`purchase price of $1.65 billion.
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`37.
`
`Defendants
`
`profit handsomely
`
`from the
`
`infringement of Plaintiffs’
`
`copyrighted works, and receive financial benefits directly attributable to the infringing
`
`activity. YouTube has built an infringement-driven business by exploiting the popularity of
`
`Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works (and the works of other copyright owners) to draw millions of
`
`users to its website. YouTube derives advertising revenue directly attributable to the
`
`infringing works, because advertisers pay YouTube to display banner advertising to users
`
`whenever they log on to, search for, and view infringing videos. Through the embed
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`function and in other ways, infringing videos also draw users to YouTube’s site in the first
`
`instance, and YouTube then derives additional advertising revenue when those users search
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`for and watch other videos on the site.
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`In either event, there is a direct causal connection
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`between the presence of infringing videos and YouTube’s income from the additional
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`“eyeballs” viewing advertising on the site. The draw of infringing works has also made an
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`enormous contribution to the explosive growth of YouTube, resulting in the remarkable
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`$1.65 billion valuation Google placed on it only a short time after its founding. Thus,
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`13
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`Case 1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document 1 Filed 03/13/07 Page 14 of 27
`Case1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document1
`Filed 03/13/07 Page14 of 27
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`infringement of Plaintiffs’ works contributes substantially and directly to the value of
`
`YouTube’s business.
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`38.
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`YouTube has the right and ability to control the massive infringement on its
`
`site. As described above, the infringement is being committed on YouTube’s own website,
`
`which Defendants control, not on other websites controlled by others. YouTube has reserved
`
`to itself the unilateral right to impose Terms of Use to which users must agree when they
`
`accept YouTube’s invitation to post videos to the site, and YouTube has the power and
`
`authority to police what occurs on its premises. Through its Terms of Use, YouTube
`
`imposes a wide number of content—based restrictions on the types of videos uploaded to the
`
`site, and reserves and exercises the unfettered right to block or remove any video which, in
`93
`
`its sole discretion,
`
`it deems “inappropriate.
`
`YouTube proactively reviews and removes
`
`pornographic videos from its library, but refuses to do the same thing for videos that
`
`obviously infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights. YouTube also demands that users grant YouTube a
`
`“worldwide .
`
`.
`
`. license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and
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`perform”
`
`the
`
`videos
`
`they
`
`add
`
`to YouTube’s
`
`library.
`
`See Terms of Use,
`
`http://wvvw.youtube.com/t/terms (last visited March 12, 2007).
`
`39.
`
`On information and belief, YouTube has also sent cease and desist letters to
`
`persons who provide software that can be used to make copies of videos from YouTube’s
`
`library, asserting that such use is not “authorized.” In truth, YouTube opposes such copying
`
`because YouTube receives advertising revenue and new users only if viewers are drawn to
`
`YouTube’s own site to view videos, not when users make copies that they can share with
`
`others independently of YouTube’s site. Thus, when it is in YouTube’s financial interest to
`
`do so, it proactively polices conduct it regards as unauthorized, even on other websites.
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`14
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`

`

`Case 1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document 1 Filed 03/13/07 Page 15 of 27
`Case1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document1
`Filed 03/13/07 Page15 of 27
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`40.
`
`In stark contrast, because it profits directly from the infringement of Plaintiffs’
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`works on its website, YouTube has failed to employ reasonable measures that could
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`substantially reduce, or eliminate, the massive amount of copyright infringement on the
`
`YouTube site from which YouTube directly profits. Even though Defendants are well aware
`
`of the rampant infringement on the YouTube website, and YouTube has the right and ability
`
`to control
`
`it, YouTube’s intentional strategy has been to take no steps to curtail
`
`the
`
`infringement from which it profits unless notified of specific infringing videos by copyright
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`owners, thereby shifting the entire burden — and high cost — of monitoring YouTube’s
`
`infringement onto the victims of that infringement. Although YouTube touts the availability
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`of purported copyright protection tools on its site, at best these tools help copyright owners
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`find a portion of the infringing files, and, as to that portion, only after the files have been
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`uploaded. These tools also prevent upload of the exact same video (or the exact same
`
`excerpt of a video) after YouTube receives a takedown notice from the owner. However,
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`users routinely alter as little as a frame or two of a video and repost it on YouTube where it
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`will remain until YouTube receives a new takedown notice. YouTube’s consistent approach
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`is to take no action to remove infringing videos from its library unless and until a copyright
`
`owner notifies it that that specific video is infringing.
`
`41.
`
`Even when YouTube responds to notices of specific infringing Videos,
`
`its
`
`response has been ineffectual. YouTube does not even try to block slightly altered copies of
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`the very same video from being uploaded again immediately after being removed.
`
`It does
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`not block repeat infringers from signing up for the service again with a new account. And it
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`removes only the specific infringing clips at the specific web addresses (URLs) identified in
`
`15
`
`

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`Case 1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document 1 Filed 03/13/07 Page 16 of 27
`Case1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document1
`Filed 03/13/07 Page16 of 27
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`a takedown notice, rather than all infringing works that can be reasonably located using the
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`representative lists and other information in the notice.
`
`42.
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`YouTube adopted this hands—off policy knowing that copyright owners have a
`
`limited ability to monitor for infringing videos on its site and send takedown notices for the
`
`videos they find. Copyright owners can monitor for infringing videos only after they are
`
`posted on the site, so there is an inevitable time lag between when a video is posted and the
`
`first reasonable time at which an owner can identify it and send a takedown notice.
`
`43.
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`In addition, YouTube is deliberately interfering with copyright owners’ ability
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`to find infringing videos even after they are added to YouTube’s library. YouTube offers a
`
`feature that allows users to designate “friends” who are the only persons allowed to see
`
`videos they upload, preventing copyright owners from finding infringing videos with this
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`limitation. YouTube has also recently limited the search function so that it identifies no more
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`than 1,000 video clips for any given search. Thus, for example, if there are several thousand
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`infringing clips from the “South Park” series on YouTube, the limitations YouTube has
`
`placed on the search function may prevent Plaintiffs from identifying all of the infringing
`
`clips. In that case, even if Plaintiffs send takedown notices for the video clips they have been
`
`able to identify, and even if YouTube responds to the notices by removing those videos,
`
`many more infringing videos from the South Park series will still be available for viewing on
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`YouTube. Thus, Plaintiffs cannot necessarily find all infringing videos to protect their rights
`
`through searching, even though that
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`is the only avenue YouTube makes available to
`
`copyright owners. Moreover, YouTube still makes the hidden infringing videos available for
`
`viewing through YouTube features like the embed, share, and friends functions.
`
`For
`
`example, many users are sharing full-length copies of copyrighted works and stating plainly
`
`16
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`

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`Case 1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document 1 Filed 03/13/07 Page 17 of 27
`Case1:07-cv-02103-LLS Document1
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`in the description “Add me as a friend to watch.” For all these reasons, no matter how much
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`effort and money copyright owners expend to protect their rights, there will always be a Vast
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`collection of infringing videos available on YouTube to draw users to its site. That is
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`precisely what YouTube intends, because YouTube makes money from the collection of
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`infringing videos on its site.
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`44.
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`YouTube’s strategy also leaves Plaintiffs unable to meaningfully protect their
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`rights in time-sensitive works, such as episodes of “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert
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`Report” that appear on YouTube as soon as they air, or first-run movies like “An
`
`Inconvenien

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