Companies that create no content of their own, and make money solely on the back of other people's content, are raking in billions through advertising and initial public offerings. Google is saying to you and other copyright owners: 'Trust us, you're protected. We'll keep the digital copies secure. We'll only show snippets. We won't harm you, we'll promote you'. But anyone who visits YouTube will immediately recognise that it follows a similar cavalier approach to copyright. [Microsoft's associate general counsel, in an advance copy of a speech he's to make Tuesday, attacks the software giant's rival.]

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