Google-owned YouTube won a major victory Wednesday when a federal judge ruled the video-sharing site was protected under U.S. copyright law. Viacom, which vowed an appeal, was seeking $1 billion in damages in a case testing the depths of copyright-infring

via WIRED: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/dmca-protects-youtube/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired27b+%28Blog+-+27B+Stroke+6+%28Threat+Level%29%29

In short, Wednesday’s decision says internet companies, even if they know they are hosting infringing material,  are immune from copyright liability if they promptly remove works at a rights-holder’s request — under what is known as a takedown notice.