But, but…I love YouTube!

YouTube is an enormous success and it is definitely changing the way people get famous (see the band that made the great treadmill video and the “LonelyGirl” series). When people use it as its originators claim it was intended to be used, it’s a fabulous thing.

The idea was to have a space where people could post their own “homemade” videos–to get them out to the public. Great idea. The trouble is that more and more users are posting materials they did NOT make and, therefore, that they do not have the rights to post. The posting of these videos violates copyright law.

Universal is suing YouTube for exactly this reason. This article discusses the case. How will it be ruled? Hard call. I think YouTube has been pretty good about pulling a video when they are informed that it may be posted without proper rights. The trouble is, they are going to miss some and it would take a hell of a lot of their time to police all the materials they are getting. Does that make it okay? No, but it is a problem that should be considered.

The bigger problem is, of course, the incredibly effective spin that is out there against copyright protectionists. Napster and others did a fabulous job promulgating this argument: music (and art, etc.) should be shared with the world and the only people who think otherwise are big record companies who just want more money. Thing is, that’s crap. Yes, big music companies are interested, there is that side of this, but there are many, many, many more individuals (artists musicians, photographers, illustrators, writers, etc.) who would lose their ability to make a living, to support themselves and their families, if Napster-like supporters had their way. And, of course, those companies–the “sharing” ones, would make a ton of money off the creative work.

Look at Microsoft’s planned Zune system–users will be able to beam music and videos and images to each other. That can’t be legal (it would be making a copy) unless the rights owners give their okay. But I can’t find a single article that even mentions the copyright implications.

We need to be active in supporting copyright. Now.

So here’s what we all can do: stand up for other creatives as well as ourselves. Bring up the copyright issues of Zune to Microsoft and the press (letter/email to various editors, perhaps?). Talk about copyright to your clients. If you see a video on YouTube that you think may be posted illegally, let YouTube know. And, more importantly, do not post videos there that you do not have the rights to. I don’t care how cool that commercial is that you recorded off the tv, don’t post it (and don’t email it to others–that’s just as wrong). Don’t “share” your music or video libraries (or software). Lead by example.

One Reply to “But, but…I love YouTube!”

  1. Reading the french newspaper Le Monde, which is a reference speaking about quality newspapers), I thought about your post : But, But…I love YouTube and the sentence QUOTE “We need to be active in supporting copyright. Now.”

    They published an interesting article on the Google News vs AFP- Agence France Press case. AFP is complaining that Google doesn’t respect copyright on text and pictures by publishing the headlines and the first sentences of the news, without paying any copyright.

    I like especially the sentence of the CEO of AFP answering a statement from Google, in which he says that information is expensive to produce and that AFP battles against the vision of the demonetization of the work of the agencies and of information generally speaking, which in his mind has value.

    Le monde taking up this kind of issues and the CEO of AFP issuing this kind of statements, is great news for creatives, as it’s readen by leaders and future leaders worldwide.

    The change begins ! the future will be bright ! let’s be creative !

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