Video giant YouTube has lost a court case in Hamburg, Germany, relating to the use of copyrighted material being posted without permission.
The Regional Court has reportedly said in a statement that the company may be liable for damages, including breaches of copyright law.
The court found YouTube was not justified in allowing the uploading of three videos containing music by singer Sarah Brightman, Bloomberg reports. YouTube intends to appeal.
“This decision results in a substantial legal uncertainty for all providers of video platforms, opinion forums, social communities, blogs and many other internet services in Germany,” a Google spokesperson told the publication. “YouTube will appeal this decision and is confident that this verdict will not stand.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
