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Internet companies voice alarm over Italian law

01-26-2010 • Reuters

Internet companies and civil liberty groups have voiced alarm over a proposed Italian law which would make online service providers responsible for their audiovisual content and copyright infringements by users.

The draft, due to be approved next month, would make Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Fastweb (FWB.MI) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI), and Web sites like Google's (GOOG.O) YouTube, responsible for monitoring TV content on their pages, industry experts say.

It comes as Google's YouTube unit is engaged in a legal battle with Mediaset (MS.MI), controlled by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Italy's largest media group wants 500 million euros in damages from YouTube for copyright infringement.