The InformationWeek -- Blogs
Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits

Digital Life

Topics:   Digital Life

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • Print this page Print this page
  • Bookmark and Share
  • icon

What Will Become Of The YouTube Universe?


Posted by Barbara Krasnoff, Feb 20, 2007 04:40 PM

If you've spent any time on YouTube, or on any of the other video sharing sites that are now so incredibly popular, you'll know that a large percentage of the clips available have at least some copyrighted material in them. In fact, a good percentage are completely copyrighted. Surprised? Of course not. Not unless you've been hiding in an art film theater for the past 10 years.


In fact, one of the major factors behind YouTube's success has been the easy (and free) availability of clips from various commercials, TV shows, music videos, and films. You want to see the ads that played during the Super Bowl? You want to see clips of your favorite movie set to music from one of the latest pop groups? You want to see an episode of that nifty British sci-fi show that hasn't yet made it to the U.S.? It's here, boys and girls, if you know where to look.

Until recently, YouTube fans felt reasonably secure when flouting those inconvenient (and, to many, incomprehensible) copyright laws. There was some panic when Google bought YouTube, along with predictions of a flurry of lawsuits and an immediate scouring of user content. That doesn't appear to have happened -- yet.

What has happened is that media conglomerates are starting to chafe at the perceived loss in revenue that they're experiencing as a result of YouTube's huge collection of copyrighted material -- a collection that is, no doubt, increasing even as you read this. According to a recent article, YouTube plans to "offer anti-piracy tools only to companies that have distribution deals with the top online video-sharing service." In other words, play ball with YouTube, and you can get your copyrighted materials off their servers. You don't want to enter into a friendly arrangement? Well, that's too bad.

Sounds a bit like a 1950s gangster movie, doesn't it? Well, yes and no. According to some analysts, YouTube is simply insisting that the media companies -- who aren't themselves poverty-stricken -- pay for the complex anti-piracy software that YouTube has developed. And by screaming blackmail, the media moguls may simply be using another negotiating tool in the battle to get their material where thousands of YouTube fans will see it.

And the YouTubers who are in the middle of all this? I doubt many of them care about Viacom's demands or YouTube's business deals -- except where it affects their ability to find their favorite videos, upload that really snazzy clip that all their online friends are begging to see, or use that incredible music to back up their new home videos. However, once all those business deals start really affecting their use of video-sharing services, the fur could begin to fly.

« SMS Is Being Used More And More For Important Communications...Like Breaking Up And Flirting | Main | My Unsuccessful Quest To Replace Microsoft Office For My Mac »



Sign Up Now
For InformationWeek News Alerts




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.




 
Digital Life Video

 

  1. Hurry Quick! There is Pandemonium on the Blackboard!
  2. Microsoft Extends Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta Period
  3. Visual Basic 10 Beta 2 Also Supports Task-Based Programming


Join The InformationWeek Group On LinkedIn


                           


  1. Mobile Round-Up: iPhone On Verizon Edition
  2. Google Earth Brings 3D Maps To Audi A8
  3. Thoughts On The Motorola Droid
  4. HTC Droid Eris To Get Android 2.0 Update
  5. 9 Reasons Enterprises Shouldnęt Switch To Hyper-V


  1. Taser Builds Cisco-Based Data Warehouse
  2. Top 10 Smartphone Advances Of 2009
  3. Chief Of The Year: Vivek Kundra
  4. Federal CIO Kundra Talks IT Strategy
  5. Government Technologist: Holding The Fed CIO's Feet To The Fire
  6. CIO Profiles: Mujib U. Lodhi, CIO At DC Water And Sewer Authority

 

  Ars Technica
Boing Boing
Channel 9 Forums
CRN Blogs
Dr.Dobb's Portal: Blogs
Engadget
Gizmodo
GrokLaw
  Lifehacker
Schneier on Security
Slashdot
TechCrunch
Techdirt
Techmeme
Valleywag

  DECEMBER 2008
NOVEMBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
AUGUST 2008
JULY 2008
JUNE 2008
MAY 2008
  APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
FEBRUARY 2008
JANUARY 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
OCTOBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007