The court ruling in the 2007-filed copyright infringement lawsuit by media giant Viacom against Internet search biggie Google's video-sharing site YouTube recently went in favor of Google, with US District Judge Louis Stanton dismissing the case on the grounds that Google had acted expeditiously after being apprised by Viacom of copyrighted works on YouTube site.

According to a Reuters' report, the argument that Google put forth in its defense was that it is protected under the Safe Harbor provision of the digital copyright law which essentially limits the liability of Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Judge Stanton stated that Google and YouTube cannot be held liable under copyright law simply on the basis of their "general awareness" that illegal videos might be posted on YouTube. In his 30-page verdict, he said: "Mere knowledge of prevalence of such activity in general is not enough. The provider need not monitor or seek out facts indicating such activity."

The Judge also noted that ISPs need to deal with illegal copyrighted material if they have actual knowledge of its existence. However, in case they lack actual knowledge, the copyright holders become responsible for identifying the infringement and duly informing the ISPs.

Meanwhile, calling the ruling "fundamentally flawed," and alleging that the court decision neither reflects recent US Supreme Court decisions nor the intent behind the existing copyright law, a disappointed Viacom said it would appeal to the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals.