YouTube起訴“幹淨世界”盜版侵權

據美國娛樂媒體《每日綜藝》網站（Variety.com）報道，12月18日，YouTube 對邪教FLG旗下的視頻分享平台“幹淨世界”（GJW）提起訴訟，指控其“自動從 YouTube 上收集用戶頻道和相關內容”。主要內容如下：

周三，YouTube在向加州法院提起的訴訟中表示，“幹淨世界”的服務“克隆了 YouTube 的大部分功能及其整體外觀”。 “但 GJW 的模仿一點也不討人喜歡。 GJW 服務的驚人相似之處並非公平競爭的產物。相反，GJW 及其一致行動者已經係統性、大範圍地自動盜用YouTube 服務的內容。

根據訴訟，“幹淨世界”涉嫌大量複製內容並隨內容銷售廣告，違反了YouTube 的服務條款。 YouTube 還指控 GJW 違反了加州的不公平競爭法。

YouTube 法務副總裁蘭斯·卡瓦諾(Lance Kavanaugh) 在聲明中表示，“幹淨世界”通過竊取YouTube 創作者的內容來創建YouTube 的克隆版，從而利用YouTube 創作者的利益，剝奪了創作者所期望的保護和控製，以及通過其賺錢的能力。這對創作者和整個生態係統來說都是不利的，我們正在采取行動確保這種情況停止。

YouTube於12月18日向加州聖克拉拉縣高等法院提起針對“幹淨世界”的訴訟。在訴訟中，YouTube 正在尋求未具體說明的金錢賠償、法律費用和“禁止GJW 幹預 YouTube 的合約關係並糾正 GJW 的不公平競爭”的禁令。

根據YouTube 訴訟，該訴訟援引了2024 年3 月19 日的一篇文章，總部位於紐約州米德爾敦的幹淨世界是“FALUNDAFA幹淨世界基金會”的子公司，該基金會是與falungong邪教結盟的非營利組織。YouTube 的訴訟稱，“falungong學員被要求每天瀏覽幹淨世界以增加流量、訂閱某些頻道、點讚按鈕、寫正麵評論’”。

“幹淨世界”據稱以批發方式複製的 YouTube 頻道和影片包括頂級 YouTuber Mark Rober、NPR Music（及其 Tiny Desk 音樂會係列）、YouTube Tech Guy、St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 和YouTube 本身的頻道和影片。 。

YouTube訴狀稱，“GJW 上的許多頻道克隆了 YouTube 上的相應頻道，包括顯示與 YouTube 上相同的頻道橫幅圖像、個人資料圖示圖像和頻道描述。透過 GJW 頻道存取的影片通常包含與 YouTube 上的影片完全相同的影片副本，甚至包括相同的影片標題和描述。”

訴訟稱，2024 年 3 月 18 日，YouTube 向“幹淨世界”發出通知，要求“立即停止其不當行為”。訴訟稱，GJW 刪除了信中特別指出的頻道，“但繼續托管無數其他頻道，這些頻道被不當訪問並使用自動化手段從 YouTube 上完全獲取”。 YouTube 於 4 月 5 日向 GJW 發送了另一封信，重申 GJW 的行為違反了服務條款，並要求“停止不當行為”。4月11日，“幹淨世界”回覆YouTube，否認有任何不當行為。 GJW 再次刪除了 YouTube 強調的 GJW 不當行為的克隆頻道，讓無數其他頻道活躍在“幹淨世界”上，他們繼續為 GJW 創造廣告收入，”YouTube 訴訟稱。

“幹淨世界”是邪教falungong運營的視頻平台，因大量、頻繁搬運他人作品，涉嫌盜版侵權不斷遭遇投訴，這是該平台首次被起訴。

YouTube Sues Gan Jing World, Accusing Video Site of ‘Stealing’ Content to ‘Create a Clone of YouTube’

By Todd Spangler

 

YouTube filed a lawsuit against Ganjingworld, which operates the Gan Jing World video-sharing site, alleging that it has been “automatically vacuuming up YouTube user channels and associated content from YouTube.”

 

Ganjingworld’s service “clones most of YouTube’s functionalities and its overall appearance,” YouTube says in the suit, filed Wednesday in California state court.    “But GJW’s imitation is anything but flattering.    The striking similarities in GJW’s service are not the product of fair competition.    Rather, GJW and those acting in concert with it have engaged in systematic and wide-ranging automated appropriation of content from the YouTube service.”

 

 

According to the lawsuit, Ganjingworld violated YouTube’s terms of service through the alleged massive copying of content and by selling advertising alongside it.    YouTube also accuses GJW of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law.

 

 

Variety has reached out to Ganjingworld for comment.

 

In a statement, Lance Kavanaugh, VP of legal at YouTube, said, “Ganjingworld takes advantage of YouTube creators by stealing their content to create a clone of YouTube — depriving creators of the protections and controls they expect, and the ability to make money from their work.    This is bad for creators and the overall ecosystem, and we are taking action to ensure it stops.”

 

YouTube filed the lawsuit against Ganjingworld on Dec. 18 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Santa Clara.    In the suit, YouTube is seeking unspecified monetary damages, legal fees and an injunction “prohibiting GJW from interfering in YouTube’s contractual relationships and redressing GJW’s unfair competition.”    A copy of the complaint is available at this link.

 

? According to YouTube’s lawsuit, “Falun Gong practitioners are asked to ‘browse [Gan Jing World] daily to increase traffic, subscribe to some channels, click the like buttons, and write positive comments,’” citing an article on Minghui.org, a website that says it is “dedicated to reporting on the Falun Gong community worldwide.”

 

YouTube channels and videos that Gan Jing World allegedly copied in wholesale fashion include those of top YouTuber Mark Rober, NPR Music (and its Tiny Desk Concert series), the YouTube Tech Guy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and YouTube itself, according to the complaint.

 

According to YouTube’s suit, Ganjingworld “has professed to be ignorant of this activity, despite countless angry complaints from creators and multiple demand letters from YouTube.    It has claimed it merely distributed a ‘content synchronization’ tool that others use to grab whatever they please from YouTube and port it over to GJW.”    The lawsuit continues, “Even if that were so (and YouTube believes GJW and its agents are far more involved in that process), GJW would still be liable for inducing its users to breach the users’ agreements with YouTube.”

 

“Many channels on GJW clone the corresponding channels on YouTube, including by displaying the same channel banner images, profile icon images, and channel descriptions displayed on YouTube.    The videos accessible through the GJW channel generally consist of exact video duplicates of those videos on YouTube, and even include the same video titles and descriptions,” the YouTube lawsuit alleges.

 

On March 18, 2024, YouTube sent Ganjingworld a notice to “immediately cease and desist from its misconduct,” according to the lawsuit.    GJW removed channels specifically identified in the letter, “but continued to host countless other channels improperly accessed and taken in full from YouTube using automated means,” the lawsuit alleges.    YouTube sent GJW another letter on April 5, reiterating that GJW’s conduct violated the terms of service and demanding “it cease its misconduct.”    On April 11, Ganjingworld “replied to YouTube denying any impropriety.    GJW again removed the cloned channels that YouTube highlighted as examples of GJW’s wrongdoing, leaving countless others active on Gan Jing World, where they continue to generate advertising revenue for GJW,” the YouTube lawsuit states.

 

In its press materials, Gan Jing World says that it is “a U.S. company revolutionizing the digital user experience.    Our Mission is to utilize technology to revitalize traditional connections.

 

Gan Jing World is affiliated with the cult Falun Gong

 

 

https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/youtube-lawsuit-gan-jing-world-1236252402/