BERLIN—Google’s YouTube and other platforms could have to pay copyright damages over unauthorized uploads even if the content was put online by a third party, Germany’s top court ruled.
The platforms would be liable only if they did not act quickly to block access once they had learned of illegal uploads, the court said in its ruling on Thursday.
The case comes amid a long-running battle between Europe’s $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking redress for unauthorized uploads.
It is also part of the wider debate on how much online platforms and social media should do to police the posting of unauthorized, illegal or hateful content….