Google claims that Viacom's $1 billion copyright infringement suit against the You Tube video service threatens legitimate communication across the Internet.

Google's lawyers filed papers in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan late Friday in response to a Viacom copyright suit alleging that the growth of the Internet has led to an explosion of copyright infringement by YouTube and other, the Associated Press reported.

Google added that Viacom's push to make carriers and hosting services liable for unauthorized Internet communications threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange informations, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression.

Google added that it was in line with the requirements of the 1988 Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Google YouTube Viacom Lawsuit