YouTube in hot water: IP gone too far?
YouTube has come under fire after audio tracks posted by users on its video sharing site suddenly disappeared.
Upon request from Warner Bros, YouTube has removed a number of personal audio clips from users claiming “copyrighted music”, cutting audio from videos showing users singing their renditions of owned material.
A high school student in the US received an official notification letter from Warner Bros. informing her that a clip in which she was playing the piano and singing Christmas hit ‘Winter Wonderland’ be removed from the site at their request.
The move is set to spark huge debate about an individual’s right to free speech, along with intellectual property rights.
In an official statement by Warner Music spokesperson, in regards to YouTube’s ID tool – which removes copywrited content on the site – Will Tanous noted that Warner Bros. had every right to request the content be removed.
“YouTube generates revenues from content posted by fans, which typically requires licenses from rights holders.
“Under the current process, we make YouTube aware of all WMG [Warner Music Group] content. Their content ID tool then takes down all unlicensed tracks, regardless of how they are used.”
Do you think Warner Bros. and YouTube have gone too far?
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Absolutely. The user is not making money from the YouTube clip so I don’t see what their problem is. What will this do for cover bands and humming on the bus?
Reading the article, it seems to me the issue is not the users making money, it’s YT making money from the ads around the vids.
I think this has a long way to go before we see a resolution. Will WMG be relevant in a few years time in terms of DRM? Not sure.
Don’t blame Google and Youtube for enforcing the law. The U.S. Digital Millenium Copyright Act strips websites that make money from ads of their protection if they don’t immediately comply with a takedown order; even if that order is frivolous or even actionable.
However much it may seem to criminalise everyday people, the fact is humming a copyrighted song on the bus – or on the Internet – is technically an ‘unauthorised cover’. What we need is immediate and reasoned international reform of the copyright and patent systems – both online and offline – that protects the creative rights of the common man.