Viacom claims it has identified over 150,000 copyright abuses by YouTube that comprised clips from popular shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, MTV Unplugged and South Park. The firm states that the infringement also included the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that had been viewed online ‘an astounding 1.5 billion times’.

Viacom is now asking for damages for the ‘unauthorised’ viewing of its programming content. The firm has filed a one billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube. Google, YouTube’s owner, has claimed that the lawsuit will effectively threaten internet freedom.

Viacom is refusing to budge, stating its tally represented just a fraction of the content on the online video sharing service which violates its copyrights. It said:

The availability of a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others on the video sharing service is the cornerstone of defendants’ business plan.

Viacom originally began legal action last year. The firm filed an amended version in April 2008. Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone stated in an interview:

When we filed it (lawsuit), we not only served our own interests, but also of everyone owning copyrights they want protected.