YouTube spokesperson says company is committed to protecting copyright and protecting privacy
Brussels:
Google’s YouTube is not required to provide the email address or IP address of users who download movies illegally on its video platform, the highest court in Europe ruled on Thursday, saying it there must be a balance between the protection of personal data and copyright.
The case was brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg after a German court asked for advice on the measures that video platforms must take to combat piracy of films in a case concerning the German film distributor Constantin Film Verleih.
The company, which owned the distribution rights for Scary Movie 5 and Parker films in Germany, had asked YouTube and Google to provide the email addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses of users who had downloaded these films illegally from YouTube in 2013 and 2014.
Constantin Film took the case to German court after the Alphabet subsidiaries Google and YouTube refused to provide the details.
The CJEU has supported American technology companies.
“When a film is illegally downloaded from an online platform, such as YouTube, the rights holder may, under the Directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, require the operator to provide only the mailing address of the affected user, but not their own or their email, IP address or telephone number, “said the judges.
They said that EU countries could opt for greater protection for owners of intellectual property rights, but that there should be a fair and proportionate balance between the different fundamental rights.
A YouTube spokesperson said that Google and YouTube are committed to protecting copyright and protecting the privacy of their users and their data.
“Today’s decision by the CJEU provides legal clarity on what information should be shared with rights holders in the event of a claim for copyright infringement,” she said in a statement. sent by email.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
