Viacom could work with Google in future: CEO

By Michele Gershberg

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Viacom Inc Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said on Thursday the entertainment company could work with Google Inc down the road, despite a $1 billion lawsuit it has filed against the Web search leader.

The owner of MTV and Comedy Central networks sued Google and its video sharing site YouTube in March, accusing them of benefiting from clips of Viacom shows that were uploaded by YouTube users without authorization.

Both sides have since taken steps to bolster copyright protection, but have yet to reach a compromise on the growing problem of safeguarding popular television shows and movies on the Web.

"I suspect at some point in the future we'll work with Google," Dauman said at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

Viacom, with Walt Disney Co, Microsoft Corp and other media companies, said on Thursday they agreed to guidelines on copyright, including blocking pirated material before it is loaded on a site for public access.

Google was absent from the pact, but its YouTube unit said earlier this week it was publicly testing a video-matching database that helps identify pirated material on the site.

It had previously tested the technology with nine media companies, including Disney and Time Warner Inc, but YouTube officials would not say if Viacom had participated.

"To the extent the ... announcement reflects a positive evolution in their thinking, I welcome it," Dauman said of YouTube's move.