YouTube is being sued for €10 million (£8.3 million) by French indie label collecting society SPPF, which argues the Google-owned site is hosting 100 music videos without authorisation and despite an earlier agreement to take them down (via Billboard.biz). Nothing unusual about YouTube being sued or falling out with collecting societies, you might say—but unlike the on-going dispute with UK collecting society PRS over royalty payments, this is about copyright infringement.

SPPF says the videos were taken down in 2008 at the society’s request but are now back; YouTube argues this is because SPPF hasn’t signed up to its Content ID scheme which spots copyright infringement and either blocks unauthorized content or gives content owners the chance to validate and monetise it through the usual YouTube revenue sharing arrangements. AFP and France 24 both use the system in France and Content ID was used in the global content deal FreMantle signed with Google (NSDQ: GOOG) to show Britain’s Got Talent clips outside the UK (while ITV (LSE: ITV) dithered over a UK deal). In a statement YouTube says: “The protection of copyrights is best achieved by joint efforts between creators and online platforms, not by lengthy and costly lawsuits.”

The question is, why would music labels, especially smaller ones, want to keep their content from YouTube? Consumers have no problem downloading whatever they want for free and other labels see YouTube for what it is: a massive, free distribution platform that contributes revenue, albeit not as much as record label execs would like. Google content partnerships VP David Eun may have had a point when he said at MidemNet this year labels are too defensive about protecting their content.

Also today, SPPF announced it made 14.9 percent higher income year on year in 2008 of €14.5 million (£12.3 million).

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