Intellectual Property Law

More on the YouTube Business Model

By Kevin Heller

YouTube (YouTube Model Is Compromise on Copyrights) is rolling out technology to spot pirated material in a plan to defuse big media companies from suing them for copyright infringement. YouTube then plans to share ad revenue from that material with media companies.

YouTube should note that all of the user generated content is also subject to copyright and unless its uploaded by the creator or licensee is technically 'pirated material'.

The article goes on to say that "YouTube could open itself up to a flood of requests by creators of videos looking for their own share of advertising revenue. Other sites such as Revver Inc. currently give amateur video creators a percentage of ad revenue. YouTube in the future will explore options for sharing online ad revenue with smaller, or amateur creators, Mr. Hurley said. But right now we're building tools for record labels, TV networks and movie studios."

Let's just hope they don't alienate their users in the meantime.

Previously: Universal to Sue YouTube?

Related: Mark Cuban on The Coming Dramatic Decline of Youtube (ed - he wrote this prior to reading any of my posts or the WSJ articles apparently; maybe Calacanis is going to his head.)

Full post as published by Tech Law Advisor on September 19, 2006 (boomark / email).