Filed under: Business, Internet, Video, Web services
Universal Music vs. YouTube and MySpace
Universal Music has accused YouTube and MySpace of infringing on the rights of their artists music videos during an investors conference. Universal's chief executive stated that the two companies owed them tens of millions of dollars in copyright infringement money. Universal is expected to release a statement about how they will deal with the infringers in due time. YouTube has been known to take down copyright related materials when they have been notified by rights holder. It should be interesting to see how this pans out. The greatness behind sites like YouTube is held in the mass video appeal, from personal videos, to artist music videos. Take the music, and music videos away, and what are we left with? This could cause a little bump. However, what if YouTube and MySpace were to pay per view for each music video played?
In Universals Chief Executives speech to investors, he did state that record companies are keen at avoiding the mistakes that were made when MTV was set up, by letting artist's music to be aired for free, creating a multi-billion dollar company in the process.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mustang said 11:30PM on 9-14-2006
Oh geez, here comes more RIAA type BS. When are these idiots going to realize that letting kids watch free music videos on youtube actually SELLS their music? Let's face it Metallica isn't losing any money by allowing the teens watch their videos on youtube. If nothing else it makes them want to buy the song on I-tunes.
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R. Francis Smith said 5:28PM on 9-14-2006
In Universals Chief Executives speech to investors, he did state that record companies are keen at avoiding the mistakes that were made when MTV was set up, by letting artist's music to be aired for free, creating a multi-billion dollar company in the process.
In the recording industry, it's always called a "mistake" when music enthusiasts get to actually enjoy music, yeah.
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dak said 7:13PM on 9-14-2006
yeah, stupid.
when did promotional material suddenly become premium content?
Music videos were never intended to be content, they were always promotional for the songs they were trying to sell. And it worked, go ask Madonna and Michael Jackson.
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phizm said 7:53PM on 9-14-2006
Welcome to the future, advertising is premium content.
Nine out of ten tweens can't tell the difference.
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Victor Agreda, Jr. said 10:09PM on 9-14-2006
Yeah, look how MTV ruined the music industry. Brilliant!
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Bob Jones said 5:22AM on 9-15-2006
When are these idiots going to realize that somebody IS stealing there music and putting it online?
This isn't a debate about how they should be embracing YouTube, its about how they should handle copyright infringement.
People will always add copyrighted content to YouTube ... until the studios add everything for free, because people always feel the need to share their music illegally ... think if they added 20 Michael Jackson songs - somebody would add another 20 illegally.
The music studios have to nip this in the bud before they can work with YouTube on a profitable way to display their music.
Its shocking some of you think that people would buy CDs if every song they wanted was online, what would you loose a slip cover?
The studios main interest is their fans money, right now they are not getting it for those video displays.
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R. Francis Smith said 9:51AM on 9-15-2006
Well, color me shocking, because I can't imagine music being used as the background for a video on youtube having much of anything to do with sales of the music, except possibly to _promote_ sales by bringing attention to the music in question. I am unable to make myself imagine someone saying "eh, I really like the song, but since I can just watch that video of teenagers dancing to it on youtube at my computer, I don't really want the CD."
Of course, I agree that the studios' main interest is their fans' money. And if that money follows the fans elsewhere, then just perhaps they'll consider improving their value instead of using litigation as their primary market tool.
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Neil S said 7:01PM on 11-22-2006
Here's a conspiracy theory for you. They're suing over supposed copyright infringement in order to make legitimate independent music harder to get online. A friend of mine posted his original music to MySpace and they shut him down for "copyright infringement." He's having his lawyers look into it now.
If MySpace starts making it harder for musicians to post their own material - there'll be less competition from the indie artists.
I don't know about many of you, but I haven't heard a lot of music I want to buy from the major labels lately, but I've bought A LOT of music from small indie artists in the last year.
I don't think we should believe everything we hear - a lot of music is being sold. Its just the major labels that are feeling the pinch on their overstuffed bellies.
(But I'm not biased at all - as you can probably tell.)
I do appreciate Bob J's comment that companies like MTV made profit from "free content" - but don't forget that that "free content" drove record sales - which is what is was supposed to do. They are not "losing" money just because someone else is making a profit.
Getting back to the original argument - music videos are a way to promote a band. If I had a band with a video that got as big play as some have with YouTube / MySpace, I jump for joy because you know sales of CDs and downloads from iTunes etc would be climbing rapidly.
Yes, there is some pirating going on - always has. The Greatfull Dead showed that can be an enormous help in marketing your band. I loved how The Dead would let people get a live feed from the soundboard to make their own recordings.
The major labels remind me of Tom The Dancing Bug cartoons featuring Lucky Ducky. http://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2006/11/11/
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