If you have the most basic copyright law, then Google is liable, because they are distributing content they don't have permission to. So tech companies want Sa

If you have the most basic copyright law, then Google is liable, because they are distributing content they don't have permission to. So tech companies want Safe Harbor. Media companies understand that safe harbor will enable some shadier businesses like megaupload (where the site owners are complicit in the content and hide behind safe harbor). So they say " OK for safe harbor, but we want a bit more protection for us, the content producers, as well." Thus a compromise is formed. Most laws are comprises to get most people at the table, this seems like one of them.