Californian judge rejects plea to remove anti-Muslim film clip from YouTube-India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The anti-Muslim video that has sparked outrage across several countries can stay on YouTube, a Californian judge has ruled. The court has dismissed the plea of one of the actors to block the video, who said that keeping it online invades her ‘privacy rights’ and the ‘post-filming dialogue changes’ cast her in a false light. Actress Cindy Lee Garcia, who appears in the film “Innocence of Muslims,” had asked a Los Angeles court for an emergency restraining order against Google’s YouTube site, which hosts the 14-minute movie trailer. According to the New York Daily News, Google’s lawyer told the court that movies are not real, and, as such, an actor playing a role is not entitled to personal privacy. “Our laws encourage free speech, especially with matters of public concern. We don’t allow people with private interests to trump that,” lawyer timothy Algar said. “No matter how we view the content, whether it’s reprehensible or mocking, the fact is, it’s a subject of wide debate on a topic of interest for people around the world,” he added. According to the report, Garcia, 55, claimed her rights to privacy, publicity and safety have been compromised because the movie’s producer dubbed over her lines with another woman’s voice spewing “grotesque” anti-Islamic sentiments. Google’s lawyer said Garcia’s only valid claim is for breach of contract against the film's producer, but Garcia’s lawyer disagreed, the report added. Judge Luis Lavin ruled in favor of Google, but Garcia’s lawyer Cris Armenta vowed to file a follow-up motion for injunctive relief with the judge set to hear the fraud, slander, unfair business practices and infliction of emotional distress case that Garcia filed against Nakoula and Google on Wednesday, the report added.

Californian judge rejects actress’ plea to remove anti-Muslim film clip from YouTube