Google dips out of copyright pact

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Google dips out of copyright pact

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A coalition of nine of the world's leading media companies has struck a cooperation pact aimed at cracking down on people who infringe copyright on the internet, but Google is conspicuously absent.

Microsoft, Walt Disney, Viacom and Rupert Murdoch's Fox Networks have pledged to use hi-tech filtering software to block uploads of any movies, television clips and music which are restricted by copyright. The popular video-sharing websites Dailymotion and Veoh are signatories, as are MySpace, CBS and NBC. All have agreed that to keep personal details for 60 days of everyone uploading content to their sites.

But Google, the owner of the world's biggest video sharing website YouTube, is absent. So are a handful of other major players including Time Warner.

Television companies in particular, including the BBC, have waged a long battle to prevent clips from popular shows such as 24, The Daily Show and Top Gear from appearing free of charge online.

Philippe Dauman, president of Viacom which owns channels such as MTV and Nickelodeon, said: "We are delighted that so many leading companies have come together behind a set of principles that provide a framework for intellectual property to live in harmony with technical advances."

Several of the participants, including Viacom, have sued Google over unauthorised clips on YouTube. Google executives have argued privately that technological innovation to identify problem clips is a better long-term solution than industry-wide agreements.

Under the pact, participants have agreed that as long as members follow all the guidelines, they will not hold each other responsible when copyright infringements occur.