engine - 2:24 pm on May 1, 2007 (gmt 0)

Google responded to Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit on Monday, arguing that it has not infringed on the rights of the media company and that the lawsuit threatens the viability of its popular YouTube video-sharing Web site as well as others like it. "We think YouTube offers the world's leading platform for entertainment, education and free speech," Michael Kwun, managing counsel for litigation at Google, said in a briefing with reporters at Google's headquarters here. "We're not going to let this lawsuit distract us."

Google Denies Viacom Copyright Charges [news.com.com]

Earlier story Viacom sues YouTube for $1 billion [webmasterworld.com]