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UNIVERSAL MUSIC WARNS WEB VIDEO SWAPPER

By TIM ARANGO

September 14, 2006 -- Universal Music chief Doug Morris launched a loud salvo at YouTube, warning the upstart Internet firm that it could come into the legal crosshairs of the world's largest music company.

YouTube, the prolific swapper of videos online, consistently violates the music industry's copyrights when it allows users to post videos, Morris said in a speech at a Merrill Lynch conference in California.

Morris' cage-rattling could signal the first legal fight on behalf of a major content company against YouTube, which was founded less than two years ago but has quickly become the dominant online video site. According to industry data, some 60 percent of videos viewed online come from YouTube.

A mega-lawsuit over copyrights would complicate YouTube's plans to sell itself to a major media company or launch an initial public offering.

As more video content hits the Web, YouTube is now seen as the Internet's hot property and many on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley are betting on its acquisition.

YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.

"What doesn't work for us are companies trying to build businesses using our content without our getting a fair share," Morris said.

Morris related a frequent historical gripe often mentioned by music execs, saying the industry made a costly mistake in the 1980s when it agreed to give MTV free music videos. At the time, the industry saw the fledlging video trend as mere publicity to sell albums, rather than as a revenue generator itself.

"The poster child for this was MTV," Morris said. "Twenty-five years ago, they built a multibillion-dollar company on our software.

"They received the software for virtually nothing. We learned a hard lesson. Recently, companies like Yahoo! and AOL started video on demand running ads between our videos. We asked for payment; they said no. We took down our videos and they said yes. Now we share in their advertising revenue."

Morris said YouTube and other sites "owe us tens of millions of dollars. How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."

The four major music companies, also including Warner Music, EMI and SonyBMG, have been in talks with YouTube about licensing arrangements, but so far no deals have been reached.

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews ... arango.htm

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Looks like we've got the next Napster case coming up . . .

How often are videos going to be sold and distributed? Look at Itunes' dismal selection! How often do DVD sets come out?

It's bad enough I'm getting copies of Northern Exposure without the original music thanks to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (thanks a lot, Sony Bono).

As both a writer and librarian, I understand the issues of both sides very well, but right now the burden is unfairly on the consumer as far as I'm concerned, and sometimes the consumer cannot even get what he or she wants--some freedom of choice!

As Annabella would say . . . 20GB, 30GB, 60GB . . . Go!

I could totally see this coming... it happened soon than expected but well... [:(]

http://spaces.msn.com/members/mechigc
http://sicksadworldwelivein.blogspot.com
http://devotionanddivision.blogspot.com

Better check out Cher's "Hell on Wheels" video before it's too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok--had to check it out. Pretty bad--whats the point? Cher is the pied piper and she gets all the gay bikers to follow her out of town?

She's Hell on Wheels!!!

[quote][i]Originally posted by waldnorm[/i]
<br>

As Annabella would say . . . 20GB, 30GB, 60GB . . . Go!
[/quote]

Nice![:D]

I wonder with sites like that if MY copyright would be safe for my own stuff! I've heard for example on myspace that they can do what they like with your stuff! Fair dos the famous studios have made their money but having your ideas stolen when you haven't would suck...

Devolution is real

[quote][i]Originally posted by Barmy[/i]
<br>Better check out Cher's "Hell on Wheels" video before it's too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

[xx(][xx(][xx(]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Mechi[/i]
<br>I could totally see this coming... it happened soon than expected but well... [:(]

[/quote]

I can not be bothered by this anymore. I lost access to YouTube some time last month when Dubai Police found some porn flicks and had decided to fully BAN YouTube here.[:(!][:(!][V]

* Edited: YouTube has been restored here in Dubai a few weeks back!(it does matter to file a complaint!). So, I'm back to being a happy camper![:D]

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=rubbeet921

And if YOUTUBE ends up coming to agreements with those large entertainment companies it will end up losing the individuality it has. The fact that people can post treasured or hard to find video is what makes YOUTUBE so interesting.

Google buys video-sharing YouTube for 1.65 bln USD

Google Inc., the leading Web search engine, agreed to purchase top video-sharing website YouTube for 1.65 billion U.S. dollars in stock, media reports said Tuesday.

YouTube's co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen and their 65 employees will join the company, and the company will continue to operate independently with its headquarters in San Bruno, California, Google said Monday in a statement.

YouTube soared to an Internet icon after its launch from a garage in Feburary 2005. The company claims that more than 100 million videos are watched daily by visitors to the free website, which features a content ranging from silly home videos to snippets of Hollywood films, television shows and concerts.

The deal, expected to close before the end of the year, combines two of the most popular Internet brands: Google, synonymous with Web search and rapid innovation, and YouTube, a leader in the new generation of user-participation Web sites.

In anticipation of the acquisition, investors pushed shares of Google up 8.50 dollars, or 2 percent, on Nasdaq on Monday to a closing price of 429.00 dollars -- a level not seen since late April. In extended hours trade, Google climbed to 431.55 dollars.

The stock had already gained about 2 percent on Friday when reports emerged that a deal might be in the works. In two trading days, Google has added around 6 billion dollars in market capitalization.

For Google, the acquisition of YouTube, the company's largest, would thrust the Web search leader quickly into the emerging market for video advertising, where it has only a tiny foothold compared with Yahoo Inc. and various Web start-ups.

Analysts said the acquisition will build on Google's strategy to add more content to attract advertisers.

"YouTube is phenomenally valuable in terms of traffic and in the Internet sector this is important just like location is important in real estate," Reuters quoted Sasa Zorovic, an analyst at Oppenheimer, as saying.

Just a few hours before the deal, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG said they had signed distribution deals with YouTube, following a similar agreement with Warner Music Group last month. Google also said on Monday that it had signed similar deals with Warner and Sony BMG.

Some cynics have questioned YouTube's staying power because of copyright concerns.

Xinhua/Agencies
http://english.people.com.cn/200610/10/ ... 10531.html

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<font color="#00ff00"><font="westminster">Music videos, Orange County concerts, and more.</font>

[quote][i]Originally posted by highway1pch[/i]
<br>Google buys video-sharing YouTube for 1.65 bln USD

[/quote]

I think that comes out to aroung $34.00 per registered user! [:o)][:D]


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