NewsCorp Subpoenas YouTube Over '24'

Twentieth Century Fox, a part of media conglomerate, NewsCorp, has subpoenaed YouTube for having broadcasted episodes of its hit TV series, 24 and The Simpsons, without permission. News Corp. spotted the episodes on Google’s YouTube Web site on Jan. 8, more than a week before 24’s season opener, which was scheduled to air on Fox TV.

The subpoena, filed by the media conglomerate, in a California court on January 18, demands that Google-owned YouTube provide information about the subscriber who posted the episodes on the site. News Corp. is seeking the YouTube subscriber’s name, home address, telephone number, email address and information about the Internet connection used to upload the videos. Google must now decide whether to reveal the identity of its subscriber, only known as ECOtotal, to avoid further legal problems with NewsCorp.

In a statement, a Google spokeswoman said the company has removed the copyrighted videos after Fox filed a notice on Jan. 8. However, the spokesperson refused to comment on the recent subpoena, saying that the search giant would ‘comply with valid U.S. legal processes. If Google complies, News Corp. would want to publicize the matter, in order to potentially deter other YouTube users from illegally posting its shows.

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According to news reports, even if Google agrees to release the registration information on ‘ECOtotal’, it won’t be of much help, because in all likelihood, all the information will be fake.