Italy's government is forging ahead with plans to extend TV-broadcasting regulations to Web sites that host videos, marking one of the most sweeping attempts by a Western government to tighten control over the use of video on the Internet.
The draft decree, expected to take effect early this month, would force sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube to operate more like traditional TV broadcasters within Italian borders. It seeks to "establish a principle," Paolo Romani, Italy's deputy minister of communications, said in an interview. "If you use copyrighted material, your site becomes an editorial product, a broadcaster that is placed at the same level as other broadcasters." Under the proposed rules, sites would have to gain permission to host copyrighted videos, such as TV programs, that users often post on sites like YouTube. They would also be required to obtain broadcasting licenses from Mr. Romani's office, and would become liable for any libelous material in posted videos. Infringements could lead to fines and lawsuits for libel and copyright infringement.
