DMCA Troubles Seen Hurting Video Hosting Market

Weaknesses in safe harbor could play a role in the relative lack of competition in video hosting services, Santa Clara University Director-High Tech Law Institute professor Eric Goldman blogged Friday. Pointing to the ongoing Capitol Records v. Vimeo litigation filed in 2009, he said fights like this and similar litigation against YouTube means investors are spooked by the inevitability of lengthy, costly Digital Millennium Copyright Act fights with copyright owners. In a Capitol order (in Pacer) last month in docket 9-10101, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams of Manhattan agreed with Vimeo to dismiss 273 unfair competition claims against it but rejected its arguments to dismiss another 59.