Sony sets eyeVio on Japan (REU, VAR)

By Nancy Vialatte

Yesterday, Sony said it would launch a video-sharing site in Japan on Friday. This marks the conglomerate�s first step towards challenging Google� YouTube, reports Reuters.

The service, called eyeVio, will eventually be taken abroad but Sony is waiting to gauge its reception before drawing up a further launch schedule.

"This is part of Sony's quiet software revolution," said CEO Howard Stringer at a press conference. "It's an opportunity to transmit user-generated video anywhere you want to, anytime to anybody, in a protected environment.�

Unlike YouTube, which has drawn criticism that it tolerates user piracy and faces a $1 billion lawsuit from Viacom Inc. alleging copyright violation, Sony said it would closely monitor content on the service. Such a model would appeal to companies looking to release content and to protect their image, said Sony spokesman Takeshi Honma.

"We believe there's a need for a clean and safe place where companies can place their advertisements," Honma said.

Earlier this year Google agreed to display warnings on YouTube in Japanese telling users not to upload copyright materials. Last year it removed nearly 30,000 video files from the site at the request of Japanese media firms.