Legal Risks and Solutions to Video-Sharing Web Sites—Focusing on Copyright Infringement

Abstract

In recent years, video-sharing Web sites have a rapid development as a new product, but they are shadowed by the problems of law violations and endless litigations. The major problems which video-sharing Web sites encountered are infringement of copyright and privacy and contravention of foreign countries’ national dignity and religion. Although the “Safe Harbor” doctrine is the amulet to protect the video-sharing Web sites from copyright-infringement liability, yet there are also some unavoidable legal risks against video-sharing Web sites for some of their broadcasting videos insulted foreign countries’ dignity and religion. This article analyzes the legal risks mentioned above and referring to the “Safe Harbor” doctrine in particular to exonerate the copyright-infringement liability of video-sharing Web sites. Finally, this article gives some advices in view of the healthy and sound development of video-sharing Web sites.