When YouTube first started streaming Indian Premier League cricket at the beginning of March, it did so on a time delay for matches shown in the United States. Today, the streaming video service has announced that the matches have become so popular in the U.S. that there’s no longer a need to wait – the games will be streamed live here as well.

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According to YouTube’s blog post, the Indian Premier League YouTube channel has had over 40 million views, with the United States accounting for the most views after only the most obvious location – India.

While some seemed to say that the quality was subpar at the onset, you can’t really argue with more than 40 million views just over a month after launch. And, as a New York Giants fan living in the great state of Texas, I would know first hand that even a grainy Internet broadcast can be better than nothing.

Currently, YouTube’s IPL channel is its first and only foray into live sports streaming and, being on YouTube, is available to iPhone users as well as other mobile users that can access the site. And, according to Forbes, the cricket league is big business, so we can only wonder what the next step here is.

So, for you displaced sports fans like myself, the semi-finals begin in just over two days’ time and will be streaming live on YouTube. Get to watchin’.

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A federal judge has dismissed some claims for damages against Google’s YouTube in a class action copyright suit involving music publishers and Britain’s Premier League.

U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton ruled that damages are not available for any foreign works that are not registered in the United States except those that fall under a live broadcast exemption.

Copyright law excludes statutory damages for unregistered works, except for live broadcasts of "sporting events, concerts, theatrical presentations and news and public affairs programs" if the copyright owner notifies the infringer at least 48 hours before the work is transmitted, District Judge Louis Stanton wrote in the decision.

Judge Stanton did indicate the plaintiffs could, if they prevail at trial, seek statutory damages on infringement of live broadcasts.

The court dismissed the plaintiffs’ request for punitive damages. "There is no circumstance in which punitive damages are available under the Copyright Act of 1976," Stanton wrote.

Google attorney Adam Barea called the damage claims dismissed by the court "baseless from the start."

"We are very pleased with the court’s decision and will continue to vigorously defend against the remaining baseless claims in the case," Barea said in a statement.