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Finnish Football, LA riot journo join attack on YouTube

No free Veikkausliiga!

It seems that far too many people are watching free Veikkausliiga highlights on YouTube.

Today, the English Premier football league and music publisher Bourne Co. announced that eight other parties have joined their lawsuit against the Google-owned YouTube, including the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the largest music publishing association in the U.S.; Robert Tur, the helicopter-riding journalist famous for filming an attack during the 1992 L.A. riots; and the Finnish Football League Association, organizers of the Veikkausliiga.

The class action suit accuses YouTube of facilitating copyright infringement on its popular video-sharing site. Filed in New York City in early May, it asks that a U.S. federal court issue an order forcing the company to fork over damages and introduce technology that prevents the upload of unauthorized material. For trial purposes, the action has been combined with the $1bn suit filed by media giant Viacom.

"We are pleased to see so many other copyright holders joining us in what we are trying to achieve," said a Premier League spokesperson. "The clear and growing message to YouTube and Google is simple: their callous and opportunistic business model is contrary to right, contrary to law, and must and will be stopped."

The suit is already backed by several other copyright holders across the globe, including Cherry Lane Music Publishing, an independent music publisher; the French Tennis Federation; and the French Professional Football League. Other new parties include the U.K.'s Rugby Football League and two boxing promoters.

In joining the group, Robert Tur plans to drop a separate suit he filed against YouTube over a year ago.

Speaking before the court last week, a Google lawyer said the company plans to roll-out an "FBI-quality" video-fingerprinting system as early as September - or later in the fall. ®

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