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YouTube Users Get the Last Word on TakedownsApril 22, 2010 -- For more than a year, YouTube users have been posting parodies of the scene from Downfall where Hitler realizes that he's lost the war and throws a screaming fit. Recently, Constantin Film AG, the producers of Downfall, have started having those clips removed. In response, Plankhead has offered up a new parody of the parody -- "Hitler reacts to the Hitler parodies being removed from YouTube." Thanks to loyal reader Jeff Saxton for pointing this one out. Viral Video Creators Lose in YouTube Music DealJuly 30, 2009 -- Jill Petersen and Kevin Heinz transformed their wedding march into a very non-traditional wedding ceremony opener, which became an instant hit on YouTube. Too bad they're not on the list of people making money from it. More... An Odd YouTube StoryApril 17, 2009 -- An article at the New York Times discusses YouTube's "transformation from an online jumble of amateur videos to a destination for mainstream TV programs and movies." I read on, kind of annoyed because YouTube used to call their content "user-generated" or "user-submitted" when that was all they had. Now it's just a bunch of amateur videos. They'll say it again, just so you get the point.
I was ready to do a rant about who makes the distinction between professional and amateur, since they can't identify "illegal" music from Warner and Sony. And a few other things. Fortunately, after devoting 80 percent of the story to the contents of an article at Credit Suisse, which is where the Times writers are getting this, two honest sentences sneak in.
The "inaccurate conjecture" comprised the bulk of the story and, except for those two sentences, the Credit Suisse story is not questioned, just repeated. Warner Music Attacks BabiesMarch 13, 2009 -- In what is arguably their lowest point to date, Warner Music is now taking aim at videos with babies and toddlers. Takedown notices for baby videos. Another sad, sad example of how out of control the record labels are. This has nothing to do with copyright or music -- or basic human decency. They're just being a pain in the ass for no good reason -- which is why YouTube threw them all out in the U.K. YouTube UK Throws Major Labels OutMarch 11, 2009 -- Well, well, well... this was bound to happen sooner or later and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. There's not much of a story. YouTube is negotiating new rates with Britain's version of ASCAP. YouTube decided that these guys are so far off base that they might as well start taking the music videos down now. This is a clear indication that the independents need separate representation, which they may get from a group called Impala in merry old England, I'm not sure. But finally, after all this time, someone is going to give the major labels what they asked for. YouTube is filtering them out. Warner Music's Divine WisdomDecember 22, 2008 -- Elvis, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, the Monkees, U2, Madonna, Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers -- It seems to me that most popular acts become popular by going through a period where you almost can't escape them. Warner Music has a new take on the star machine where you try to ensure no one can find your acts. (Read More) December 13, 2007 -- Warner Music Screws Led Zeppelin FansViacom Pokes YouTube In the EyeBy George Ziemann -- March 13, 2007 Viacom is suing YouTube for a billion dollars. Yes, it's another one of the "you're stealing our stuff" cases. This one has a slight twist, in that Viacom may have a trace of logic in its case. In case you don't know, Viacom is an entertainment conglomerate that includes (among others) BET, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Country Music Television, Spike TV, and TV Land. They also own iFilm, which (I believe) has been around longer than YouTube. So, unlike the record labels in their suits against everyone, Viacom actually has a service which competes with YouTube. I think that's a big difference. With the record labels, it seems like they're suing companies for doing things that the labels should have thought of first were they in possession of a clue. Viacom is just suing YouTube for doing it better. Fox seems to be the only major force to grasp how this Internet thing works. I've watched a couple of episodes of 24 online and it actually seems better than watching it on TV. There are still a couple of commercials in every episode, but they're only about 30 seconds each, which reduces an hour show to about 45 minutes. That's really beside the point, which is that all of the lawsuits going on in the entertainment world seem like a malignant cancer that will eventually kill its host. The industry seems intent on targeting anything that the audience likes. What they don't seem to realize is that the audience doesn't like that. Every time the audience gets a new toy, the big bullies try to break it. In the end, the biggest fans (of whatever it is) are the ones who will most likely be punished. Legal considerations aside, who else would bother to spend the time to digitize and upload a video clip of a show? Their competitors? People that hate the show? No. It'll always be the fans. Doesn't matter if you're talking about music, movies or television. Sue the people who like you the most -- they're the ones who will still upload a clip, knowing full well that they shouldn't, but it doesn't matter because, well... they can. "Besides," they'll tell you, "you just gotta see this..." Followup -- March 22 -- Cart having passed, horse follows. Oct. 2006 Musicians Won't See a Dime From YouTube Deal I Hear the Fat Lady... by George Ziemann Urgent Message for YouTube Users by Mike Steely |
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