[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]Long story short: Viacom runs a clip on TV without permission. The creator takes his clip from TV to post on YouTube. Viacom issues a cease and desist letter to YouTube claiming that they own the clip.
A filmmaker named Christopher Knight created a quirky ad campaign when he ran for the elected position on his county's Board of Education. He created a commercial where, armed with a light saber, Knight vowed to help fight against those that were destroying the education system. Viacom's VH1 found it entertaining enough to feature on its show "Web Junk 2.0" without Knight's permission. Knight didn't mind the extra recognition, and posted the clip from "Web Junk 2.0" on YouTube. Viacom then sent YouTube a takedown notice, and the video clip was removed.
It's perfect hypocrisy, and Viacom probably didn't even realize: their legal department just issues bulk takedowns, and wouldn't have time to check the source of every clip. In such a big organization, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, it seems. Will the EFF, famous for defending YouTube users against overzealous lawyers, get involved?
Below is the original clip: the feature from Web Junk 2.0 is no longer available.