Streaming Site Triumphs In Copyright Case

Streaming video website Vimeo may not be sued over content on the site that is uploaded by users in violation of copyright law. Just because Vimeo employees had viewed videos with copyrighted recordings did not prove the company ignored potential infringement, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The ruling deals a blow to Capitol Records and Sony, who filed their lawsuit in 2009, alleging copyright infringement over music in 199 videos Vimeo users uploaded. But the court found that, under the Digital Millennial Copyright Act, the streaming site is protected from liability from user uploads, and that includes copyrighted material from before 1972, when Congress expanded the scope of copyright law.