Viacom may have emails proving that YouTube knowingly uploaded unauthorized videos. These emails can help Viacom with its $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against Youtube. Emails show that YouTube managers were aware of the copyright infringement violations, but selected to keep the videos on their network and not take them down. The report was made by CNET Greg Sandoval, who cited unidentified sources.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe-harbor provisions ask sites that have unauthorized content to immediately remove it. If YouTube did not follow those provisions, the company may find itself outside the safe-harbor protection and be in trouble in its legal case against Viacom.