YouTube will able to continue to operate in Spain without worry, now that a Spanish federal court has ruled that the site isn't responsible when users upload copyrighted material online.
Spanish broadcaster Telecinco first brought attention to the matter involving YouTube, with company officials claiming YouTube should be liable for copyright infringement. However, since YouTube has anti-piracy tools built into its website, content owners are able to remove content if infringement takes place.
Specifically, the YouTube Content ID technology makes it easier for YouTube to be notified if a video is redflagged. At least 1,000 different content producers in Europe already use the Content ID technology to help identify copyrighted material that is shared without their permission.
YouTube also discussed another reason it cannot be made to police all video enforcement, because of the sheer amount of content that is being published online.
"More than 24 hours of video are loaded onto YouTube every minute," Google said in a public statement. "If Internet sites had to screen all videos, photos, and text before allowing them on a website, many popular sites -- not just YouTube, but Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others--would grind to a halt."
YouTube wants to work with Telecinco and other companies concerned about copyright infringement, as the No. 1 video site looks to begin attracting more advertisers.
This Spanish court ruling isn't a very big surprise, because the country is becoming increasingly known for its relatively lax copyright enforcement. Making it even more interesting is that Spain is listed as one of five major pirate nations, with pirated content valued at $6 billion in six months.
Meanwhile, YouTube has faced trouble in the European Union, including Germany, Italy and France -- as copyright issues continue to pop up for the popular video sharing website.
