Popular video-sharing website YouTube announced on Nov. 19 that it will begin providing legal support to selected users to help them with their copyright cases.

According to Christian Science Monitor, YouTube is willing to give up to $1 million in order to help its users pay for legal fees. The Google-owned website said that it is offering monetary aid to the creator of four videos posted on its website which, according to the user, meet the standards of fair use.

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Under the United States copyright law, any new project that uses a copyrighted material in a way that differs from the copyright holders' original intent is exempted to the ruling. This exemption covers parodying, commenting or satirizing a copyrighted article.

In a statement released on its official blog, Google copyright legal director Fred von Lohmann wrote, "We're doing this because we recognize that creators can be intimidated by the DMCA's counter notification process, and the potential for litigation that comes with it."

YouTube said that supporting users under litigation will help restore the power balance in favor of content creators. Copyright holders often threaten content creators with litigation using arguments under the controversial 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which protects intellectual property rights for music and movies from online piracy.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has shown support for YouTube's latest move. Despite its positive response, the group said that YouTube should establish a system where users can enroll its new legal assistance program, rather than just carefully handpicking those the company wants to support.

YouTube has released a list of videos that it has agreed to defend in court in order to further educate users about what should be covered by "fair use." The company said that it will create and impose a new set of guidelines in order for its users to understand the benefits of free and open content over the Internet, according to IT Pro.

TagsYouTube, YouTube users, YouTube legal, free legal assistance, YouTube DMCA, copyright materials, DMCA, YouTube legal support, YouTube Copyright Legal Support