Los Angeles - A federal judge has thrown out Universal Music Group's request to include investors in video-sharing site Veoh as defendants in its copyright infringement lawsuit against the company, TechCrunch reported.

That means that Shelter Capital, Spark Capital and Michael Eisner's Tornante Company will not be liable if Veoh is found guilty.

Universal cited an earlier precedent where Napster investor Bertelsmann was found to be on the hook for "vicarious" copyright infringement.

But the judge in the Veoh proceedings noted that unlike Napster, Veoh has not yet been found guilty of infringement, and further stated that simply being on a guilty company's board would not constitute infringement.

U.S. District Court Jude A. Howard Matz earlier denied Universal's request for summary judgment, noting that the "safe harbor" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act -- which shield service providers from liability for infringements committed by subscribers -- apply to Veoh.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/bcxqjg (TechCrunch)

http://tinyurl.com/7p8l6d (DMW previous coverage)

http://www.veoh.com