Google, Viacom Resolve 7 Year Copyright Infringement Suit

Armistice has been declared in a $1 billion lawsuit, with Google and Viacom announcing that they have resolved a copyright infringement legal battle that stretched seven years.

Their dispute dates back to Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube. Shortly after a deal closed, Viacom accused the online video platform in 2007 of violating its copyright by hosting clips from its movies and television programming such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “The Daily Show” without its permission. It sued the company for $1 billion.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the resolution did not involve the exchange of any money, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. The primary focus was on working together more collaboratively moving forward, the individual said. The two sides were scheduled to appear in appellate court.