Google vs. Viacom: Money over morality?

In class we recently read and discussed an article that laid out the current scuffle between Google and Viacom. Viacom is suing Google for placing material on their YouTube site without permission and without any sort of compensation. Google is arguing however that they have the fastest response time when it comes to removing media that Viacom demands be deleted. They feel that it is the job of Viacom to monitor their material, and that they are not committing any crime. The heated case is just a small portion of the issue that has plagued the media industry for several years. The public is getting their entertainment through different means now, and those means, the internet, are difficult to regulate. An additional article I read, found here, exemplifies this fact. It states how Viacom should be more open to the postings, because it is doing wonderfully in terms of viral marketing, stating "recommendation is the new marketing".

The bottom line is that no matter if Viacom wins or loses, they, along with other media giants are going to have to figure out a way to work with the internet. It by no means is going away or becoming less influential, it is here to stay and here to make a lasting impact. This point was already made in recent years with the music industry. You can't stop the public from downloading music, but rather you have to work with them, and reinvent your industry in order to make it beneficial to you and consumers.