Friday, March 25, 2011

Probably The Best Way Yet Devised To Deal With Copyright Violations On YouTube

I was curious how YouTube and the copyright holders would react to me blatantly violating copyright by posting Lady Gaga videos. After all, even though I did purchase a concert ticket, I can make no claim to her copyright.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about copyright issues and whether YouTube hurts or helps music sales. (I'm guessing it probably hurts some and probably helps some.) The lack of a consensus has meant, in practice, everyone has a different standard. Last year, for example, there was no reaction from anyone to me posting Black-Eyed Peas videos. So, the only to find out what the standard really is today is to push the envelope, post away freely, and watch what happens next. If the envelope pushes back and you are forced to withdraw the videos, you know.

Apparently YouTube was aware, in seconds, what I was doing (they must have automated systems in place to detect this sort of thing now). This is their reaction:
Your video, Lady Gaga - Audience Interaction & "Boys, Boys, Boys" - Power Balance Pavilion - March 23, 2011 , may include content that is owned or administered by these entities:

•Entity: Sony ATV Publishing Content Type: Musical Composition

What should I do?

No action is required on your part. Your video is still available worldwide. In some cases ads may appear next to your video.

What can I do about my video's status?

Please note that the video's status can change, if the policies chosen by the content owners change. You may want to check back periodically to see if you have new options available to you.
So, it appears they've decided that if they can't stop the practice, they will make money on the practice. If they can't control what sort of video you post, then you won't be able to control how your video is presented on YouTube (namely, what sort of advertising banner gets emblazoned, against your will, on your video).

To me, this sounds like a perfect solution. Both sides get smacked, but both sides get what they really want: a piece of the action! In other words, a compromise!

Life on the Internet is turning out to be wonderful!

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