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# Viacom Hires Theodore Olsen To Appeal YouTube Decision
- URL: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/viacom-hires-theodore-olsen-to-appeal-youtube-decision/
- Published: 2010-10-26T09:13:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-11T06:35:03.000Z
- Description: Viacom has hired former Solicitor General Theodore Olson to appeal an unfavorable outcome in a billion dollar copyright infringement lawsuit that came down this June, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
- Author: Broadband Breakfast
- Tags: Copyright, DMCA, Hollywood Reporter, Louis Stanton, Theodore Olson, Viacom, YouTube, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-02-01 10:23, #added-preview-divider

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/97/29976d9d-89ea-4c77-8c0b-0e8a0eafed35/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tedolson.jpg "TedOlson")](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/97/29976d9d-89ea-4c77-8c0b-0e8a0eafed35/content/images/broadbandbreakfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tedolson.jpg?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com)

Viacom has hired former [Solicitor General Theodore Olson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore%5FOlson?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) to appeal an unfavorable outcome in a billion dollar copyright infringement lawsuit that came down this June,[ according to the *Hollywood Reporter*.](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/thr-esq/viacom-hires-superstar-lawyer-handle-31587?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com)

A federal district court in New York this June said that a 1998 digital copyright law shields YouTube from any liabilities that might result from infringing activities by third-parties on its platform.

Federal District Court Judge Louis Stanton [sided with YouTube’s parent company Google](http://www.google.com/press/pdf/msj%5Fdecision.pdf?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com), and agreed with its argument that YouTube is not liable either directly or indirectly because it’s protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbor provision.

The provision states that a service provider isn’t liable if it has no knowledge of the infringements occurring on its system, and additionally that it is shielded from liability once it acts quickly to remove the infringing material when it *is* aware of it.

*Photo courtesy of David Shankbone.*