The Internet giant Google has been sued for about €500m or $779m by Mediaset, the Italian media group, allegedly over ‘illegal commercial use’ of video clips which are copyrighted on YouTube.  This has happened after America’s Viacom and Spanish broadcaster Telecinco of which Mediaset is the largest shareholder, slapped similar lawsuits on Google.

The cases are on currently. The recent incidents shed light on the failure of YouTube to conform to the industry rules over infringing content and the rising ire of the media firms at this. It is the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who controls the Mediaset.

The Italian media group has filed its claim in an civil court. It has also demanded that all loss of advertising revenues be added to its initial claim. It has been claimed by Mediaset that 4,643 of its video clips were on YouTube till June 10 2008 and that this was equivalent to over 325 hours of footage. It amounts a total loss of 315,672 viewing days across its three Italian television channels.

The YouTube has responded that it ‘respects copyright holders and takes copyright issues very seriously. There is no need for legal action and all the associated costs’. The YouTube further informed that it has assisted content owners to pick infringing clips, thereafter which it removed them from its forum. It is unclear as to whether or not Mediaset had used these tools prior slapping a case.