N.J. Turnpike Authority hops ride on 'Let's sue YouTube!' bandwagon
NJTA sues YouTube and several smaller video distribution sites over the posting of a video that had been shot with an NJTA camera.
YouTube just can't seem to keep those lawsuits off its back. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has sued the massive video-sharing portal for copyright infringement concerning a widely-circulated video of car crash footage that was taped with an NJTA camera.
The crash in question took place on the N.J. Turnpike on May 10 and resulted in one fatality. The NJTA's complaint, a copy of which was obtained by CNET News.com, says that "the video serves no worthwhile purpose and shows a tremendous lack of common human decency towards the family of the victim." It's not clear as to how YouTube users got their hands on the NJTA footage in the first place. The complaint says that it was intented to be confidential and was "wrongfully misappropriated and disseminated."
YouTube apparently complied with the NJTA's initial takedown notice. Unfortunately, by then, other YouTube users had re-uploaded the video, and the NJTA's complaint claims that YouTube made no effort to prevent other users from uploading the same video. The lawsuit additionally encompasses NextPoint LLC, the company that owns video-sharing site Break.com, as well as several other individuals and corporations that have not yet been named.
The U.K.-based site LiveLeak.com was also included in the lawsuit, but the NJTA dropped it from the list of defendants when it successfully removed the video.
(Originally linked via eWeek)