The Viacom Google saga gets pretty sticky in terms of ironic and embarrassing potentialities. It's yet unknown how effective the anonymized data being transferred will be at protecting YouTube identities. Further, what looks like a coup for Viacom could be a nice strategic move on Google's part.
But first with the ugly duckling. It's reasonable to think Viacom didn't want a PR debacle on the scale of Owen Thomas predicts that what could be devastating to Google's case could be likewise damaging to Viacom's. Aside from the piracy present on Viacom's own much lesser-trafficked iFilm, YouTube records from Viacom employees will also not be anonymized. "Google could easily use its records to show Viacom employees doing exactly the same thing [uploading and viewing copyrighted material]."
This harks back to one of Google's earliest defenses that while copyright lawyers were piping out cease and desist letters, TV marketing types were uploading content faster than YouTube could delete it. Wouldn't it be hilarious to everybody but Viacom if Viacom employees were uploading their company's own content in an effort to increase viewership?
Would that damage Viacom's overall case? Don't know, but prepare from some raucous guffaws if so.
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