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YouTube erases clips per Japan media demand

Web site pulls 29,549 video files after 23 Japanese media companies raise concerns over copyright infringement.

Reuters
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Google's YouTube removed 29,549 video files from its popular Web site after receiving a demand from a group of Japanese media companies over copyright infringement, an industry group said on Friday.

The television, music and movie clips had been posted without the permission of copyright holders, the Tokyo-based Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers said in a statement.

The group, which represents 23 media companies including TV networks and movie distributors, said it would ask YouTube to set up screening and other measures to block postings of unauthorized files. It also called on Internet users not to post video clips in violation of copyright laws.

YouTube, which serves more than 100 million videos a day on its free Web site, has drawn complaints from some copyright owners, as the site says it can't track which videos are pirated.

YouTube officials could not immediately be reached for comment.