NEW YORK (Reuters) - News video-sharing site Redlasso said
on Friday it will suspend its video search and clipping service
for bloggers as it defends against a copyright infringement
lawsuit filed this week by NBC and Fox News Channel.
It will continue to run a business-targeted service that
lets clients track and clip content for internal use and a
service for radio stations that lets them upload their clips
for online sharing.
"We are very disappointed in the actions of select
networks," said Redlasso Chief Executive Ken Hayward in a
statement. "We believe we have always acted within the law and
have been respectful of the networks' rights."
He added, "They have forced our hand and are denying the
blogging community access to the Redlasso platform that
beneficially tracks the usage of newsworthy clips across the
Web."
Hayward said Redlasso will continue discussions with all
content providers during the suspension.
Although Redlasso hired former CBS Corp <CBS.N> CEO Michael
Jordan earlier this year to help smooth relations with the
media industry, television networks have complained that the
company violated copyright laws by running unauthorized clips
and full-length programs of shows including "The Tonight Show"
and "The Fox Report with Shepard Smith."
NBC and Fox News were among five parties, including CBS,
Fox Television Stations and Allbritton Communications Co, that
had complained to Redlasso in May about its service.
Redlasso's service lets users create clips from TV
broadcasts and then share them on their own sites. The service
is free, according to Redlasso's website, which says it splits
advertising revenue with producers and owners of the content.
No such agreements are in place, the broadcasters have
said.
"Clip usage by bloggers is an exercise of First Amendment
rights to provide social commentary on newsworthy events,"
Hayward said in a statement.
NBC is a division of NBC Universal, controlled by General
Electric <GE.N>. Fox News and Fox Television are divisions of
News Corp <NWSa.N>.
(Reporting by Kenneth Li; Editing by Brian Moss)