[News] Damn you Viacom!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSNBC
NEW YORK - Media company Viacom Inc., which owns the cable networks MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and the Paramount Pictures movie studio, asked YouTube on Friday to remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips from its hugely popular video-sharing site.

Viacom said in a statement that after several months of talks with YouTube and its corporate parent, the online search leader Google Inc., “it has become clear that YouTube is unwilling to come to a fair market agreement that would make Viacom content available to YouTube users.”

Viacom said that YouTube and Google had failed to deliver on several “filtering tools” to control unauthorized video from appearing on the hugely popular site.

The company was now asking YouTube to take the clips down, but stopped short of filing a lawsuit.

Under federal copyright law, online services such as YouTube are generally immune from liability as long as it responds to takedown requests such as these, which YouTube often does. Less clear legally is what happens when another user posts the same video, something commonly done on the free video-sharing site.

YouTube said in a statement that it would comply with the request from Viacom and said it cooperates “with all copyright holders to identify and promptly remove infringing content as soon as we are officially notified.”

The company also said it was “unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube’s passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom’s shows.”

In November, YouTube agreed to delete nearly 30,000 files after the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers complained of copyright infringement.

Some media companies such as CBS Corp. and General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal have made deals to allow YouTube to use video clips from their programming, but others have yet to agree with the site over ways to get compensated for the use of their copyrighted material.

Universal Music Group, a division of French telecommunications giant Vivendi SA, had threatened to sue YouTube for copyright infringement, saying it was a hub for pirated music videos, but later reached a licensing deal with them last year.

Despite Viacom’s problems with YouTube, the company’s MTV Networks division reached a licensing deal last year with Google that allows the search company’s video service to use clips from MTV and its sibling networks under a revenue-sharing agreement.

Why do multimedia conglomerates always freak out when videos get out into the open? If they aren't making them available to buy anywhere, they should shut up about it. Especially on TV shows that don't even air anymore outside syndication.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

ITT we freak out about the idea of copyright holders wanting to keep control of their shit

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It's unamerican is what it is.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Considering the the fact YouTube has a 10 minute limit to all videos uploaded, I don't see what the fucking deal is. The videos are shit quality and not easily downloadable.

I think it's just a case of whiny copyright holders getting their panties in a knot over nothing. YouTube is in the right simply with the limited video length policy and their site isn't any kind of DVD video replacement.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

This is most unfortunate. They'd better be ready to pump out DVD boxed sets a bit faster, then, because there are some shows that I don't get access to with my current cable connection that I like to keep track of.

How ya doing, buddy?

The main thing I liked Youtube for was two things:

1. I could find unreleased Pilot Episodes or old cartoon shows that WERE NOT on DVD or even VHS in some cases. (Case in point: This Entry ).

2. I could watch episodes of Animanaics, Justice League Unlimited, etc., and even though I bet the DVD versions have loads of extras, it was a nice way to see some cool superhero action or silly slapstick comedy.

Now, I can understand why they want to prevent losses to the DVD sales (And in the case of the second point I made, well those shows might be on DVD), but for shows which aren't readily available, what other choice might we have?

Besides, what if people just make dupe accounts and reupload the deleted videos? Its the whole "Swap a Stick for a Sword" situation.

Ultimatley, I think that
a. Big Media companies have a lot of things stuck up their butts.
b. They see Youtube as competition, and competition is something they are genetically predisposed towards getting rid of.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Slight off topic, Dark Nation, but that pilot that you linked which is now gone, looks alot like the art style in Avatar...

You tube is a great place to watch something rare or something really quick. Getting rid of it would just fuel people to look for free downloads or streaming ELSE where.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Dark Nation

Besides, what if people just make dupe accounts and reupload the deleted videos? Its the whole "Swap a Stick for a Sword" situation.

Either that or people pick a new site to use; I believe that Dailymotion still has most of The Simpsons (among other things) on their site. It is only a matter of time until this is noticed and "taken care of" unless Fox and Dailymotion have some sort of profit sharing agreement.

I suppose the one solution that might make everyone happier is forcing the inclusion of the original commercials in uploaded copyrighted works. At the very least, it'd give copyright holders one less thing to complain about. (It'd probably be annoying over time, though.)

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I know if the commercials were included in the viewing, I wouldn't be watching it. I can't stand them, which is one of the main reasons I don't watch TV at all these days. I would prefer to download the few TV shows I do watch and then buy them on box set later. Commercials are just generally loud, obnoxious, repetitive and more often then not turn me away from the product they are trying to sell.

People need to figure out a better way to advertise that's less intrusive, and yet now they are sticking them in front of movies (most notable are Mazda and the Army, but I've seen others as well). I go to movies so that I don't have to watch commercials, and yet I'm still stuck with them. They are on some DVDs as well. How long before they start putting them in the movie proper, like watching a TV edited movie?

Sigh.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I think that it's kind of lame that Viacom had to do this; i know they are protecting some kind of infrigement laws but what about the people... not every single show has been put on DVD...

There's nowhere I can't reach.