Batteryfast.com | YouTube Legally Considered a TV Station In Italy

Jan. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- "Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that YouTube and similar websites based on

user-generated content will be considered TV stations (Google translation of Italian

original) in Italian law, and will be subject to the same obligations. Among these,

a small tax (500M), the obligation to publish corrections within 48 hours upon

request of people who consider themselves slandered by published content, and the

obligation not to broadcast content inappropriate for children in certain time

slots. The main change, though, is that YouTube and similar sites will be legally

responsible for all published content as long as they have any form (even if

automated) of editorial control. The main reason for this is probably that it will

force YouTube to assume editorial responsibility for all published content, which

facilitates the ongoing 500M lawsuit of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi

against YouTube because of content copyrighted by Berlusconi's TV networks that some

users uploaded on YouTube. Berlusconi's Spanish TV station, TeleCinco, was

previously defeated in court on the grounds that YouTube is not a content provider."
Do you really think this isn't the intended result of this law? Silvio "Mr.

Corruption" Berlusconi owns most major TV stations in Italy. He's in the perfect

position to get rid of competition.
I could imagine YouTube voluntarily blocking Italian IPs (or Italy blocking

YouTube), and a YouTube-via-proxy How-To being published in Italian (imagine that!).

The result could be that YouTube "complies" with Italian law, Italians retain access

to YouTube, and Berlusconi looks like an idiot.
I never understood how governments allow such conflict of interest... if you're a

politician, your job is politics. Owning companies should make you ineligible to

work in politics in the first place, or there should at least be requirements to

occupy a function that's completely unrelated to the companies you own.
Berlusconi controls the government, and through the media, also the voters. He's

made it obvious over the years that he doesn't consider this a conflict of

interests, he considers it synergy.
 See, this is where I think Google should call Berlusconi's bluff. All they need to

do is redirect Italian IPs to a page that says, "Due to the legal implications of

new regulations, Google can no longer provide service to Italian site visitors"

followed by a few informational links. Then, they just sit back and wait for public

outcry to force the Italian government to backpedal, and continue on as usual.
No, that's what Silvio wants them to do. His goal is to eliminate major public

venues in Italy that can be critical of him, he does most of that by owning the mass

media, but he doesn't (and probably can't) buy Google. So if nobody in Italy can

access Youtube, from Berlusconi's point of view the problem is solved.

"The main change, though, is that YouTube and similar sites will be legally

responsible of all published content as long as they have any form (even if

automated) of editorial control."

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