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The English Premier League and German Bundesliga are unhappy at Google's use of exclusive images to their respective leagues on the internet search engine's YouTube video exchange site.
Dan Johnson, spokesman for the Premier League, told AFP on Thursday that a letter was sent last week asking Google to take down any material that infringed their property rights and the rights of their holders.
And the German football league (DFL) is considering taking legal action against the company for the unauthorised use of images from the Bundesliga.
In Germany the rights to the Bundesliga are controlled by the DFL who said they were taking any illegal use of images very seriously.
"We sell our rights, which include internet rights, to our partners very expensively. These rights are being flouted by YouTube."
Similar legal action is not being considered as an option at the moment in England, according to Johnson.
"Usually the problem is solved with the letter," he said. "The impact it has is not that significant. It is not affecting our ability to sell our rights. We have to defend our rights otherwise others will come and say why can't we use them."
Dan Johnson, spokesman for the Premier League, told AFP on Thursday that a letter was sent last week asking Google to take down any material that infringed their property rights and the rights of their holders.
And the German football league (DFL) is considering taking legal action against the company for the unauthorised use of images from the Bundesliga.
In Germany the rights to the Bundesliga are controlled by the DFL who said they were taking any illegal use of images very seriously.
"We sell our rights, which include internet rights, to our partners very expensively. These rights are being flouted by YouTube."
Similar legal action is not being considered as an option at the moment in England, according to Johnson.
"Usually the problem is solved with the letter," he said. "The impact it has is not that significant. It is not affecting our ability to sell our rights. We have to defend our rights otherwise others will come and say why can't we use them."