Deadline in Viacom, Google copyright suit extended

NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - A deadline for Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to turn over documents in Viacom Inc's (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) $1 billion copyright lawsuit against the Web search leader has been extended by two months by a federal judge.

Google's attorneys had asked that a March 7 deadline for both sides to turn over documents be postponed by three months because it was wading through 4.5 million documents.

"It's a daunting task," Andrew Schapiro, an attorney for law firm Mayer Brown which represents Google, told the New York Southern District Court.

Judge Louis Stanton agreed on Friday to a new deadline of May 9.

Last March, Viacom sued Google for copyright infringement on its popular YouTube online video sharing service, demanding over $1 billion in damages.

(Reporting by Kenneth Li, Editing by Toni Reinhold)

((kenneth.li@reuters.com; +1 646 223 6224; Reuters Messaging: kenneth.li.reuters.com@reuters.net))

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