Seeking, perhaps, to avoid the sort of lawsuit that Viacom (VIA) filed against Google (GOOG), online social network Facebook has banned a third-party program that allowed Facebook members to freely trade music files.
The program, called Audio, was not created by Facebook. A developer created the program and allowed Facebook members to use it after the social network opened its platform and allowed outsiders to build software applications on top of it. Facebook also updated its terms of service, imposing stricter rules on how its platform can be used. (More more on Facebook’s audio move, see VentureBeat.)
Facebook is arguably the most talked-about startup in Silicon Valley, and its moves send ripples throughout the tech world. (According to this AP story, it’s increasingly common for people to discover music through sites like Facebook.)
Viacom has sued Google for $1 billion, claiming that its YouTube online video unit failed to keep members from posting and viewing Viacom’s copyrighted content.