UPDATE for article:
Google's $165 Billion Purchase of YouTube.com-High Risk Investment?
Turns out, there are already some issues with YouTube's vast accessibility and possible copyright infringements. Dick Parsons, the chairman and chief executive of Time Warner has specifically stated that they are pursuing all copyright issues that were previously acknowledged and in the works before Google purchased Youtube. Apparently they already have negotiations with Youtube, not exact figures were given, but I'm sure it involves some kind of monetary percentage when it comes to viewers. Now that Google is involved, the chairman is going to kick it up a notch, the playing field just got a little dirtier. Google attracts four times the amount of viewers that Youtube does, and trust me, Youtube had some viewers! He is quoted as saying,
"We'd like to have our content displayed on these platforms, but on a basis that it respects our rights as the owner of that content."
This isn't the first set of negotiations involving Google's new partner, nor will it be the last. The grouping of these tremendously powerful internet giants is stirring up the already effervescent concoction of money, power and advertising initiatives.
Here's just one example:
Who is mad?: Doug Morris, the chief executive of Universal Music. Called Youtube and Myspace "copyright infringers"
Who's he mad at?: Rupert Murdoch of News Corp, owns Myspace
Who else?: You tube, Google owns them
So What?: Murdoch owns Myspace, who creates 60%-70% of the traffic to Youtube. Google bought Youtube, which is now causing some possible copyright issues all on it's own. Myspace's Murdoch (News Corp) wants to extend advertising deal with Google (who owns Youtube) due to their direct influence over Youtube's traffic (now owned by Google) that Google will in turn quadruple due to their already mammoth viewer ship. Pissing Doug Morris off even more! Unless, of course, he comes to some kind of contract deal with them, as many already have.
Whew!
Yea, who's made revenue sharing contract deals? Huh?
- Warner Music, agreed to allow it's music library on Youtube
- Sony BMG
- CBS
From a quote in "Guardian Unlimited" Google faces copyright fight over YouTube:
YouTube founder Chad Hurley has also sought to play down copyright fears. "We're committed to developing tools to identify the content and monetize it so [content owners] can have a new outlet for their content."
