Thu, July 20, 2006
Is it just me, or does YouTube feel like it could turn into a Napster-like situation all over again? I remember the days when everybody had Napster and downloaded free music at will until the record companies stepped in and used the law to their advantage. Now, everyone uses YouTube to watch all kinds of video for free. Problem is, a lot of the footage violates copyright laws and simply can not be legally posted online for all to view.
This week Robert Tur, the independent news reporter who shot the footage of the OJ Simpson chase by helicopter, sued YouTube.com for copyright infringement.
According to the Associated Press story...
The suit alleges Tur's images of the beating of trucker Reginald Denny during the riots have been downloaded thousands of times. The practice is ruining the market for his work while attracting lucrative advertising revenue to the Web site, Tur said in an interview. The complaint alleges that YouTube encourages infringement by allowing the easy uploading and viewing of footage. San Mateo-based YouTube said the lawsuit was without merit. Tur's video clips were removed from the site as soon as it learned of his complaint, YouTube spokeswoman Julie Supan said in a prepared statement.
Can YouTube claim they are just the messenger or 'middle man' of illegally posted content? If the film studios and television networks can't find ways to pull a profit stream out of it, I doubt the YouTube as we know it today will be the same for long.
Click here to read more.
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