Users, not labels, silence YouTube music videos
Turns out that the top recording companies aren't responsible for silencing YouTube's music videos.
Here's what YouTube said on the company's blog: people who post clips with unauthorized music to the site can choose to mute the audio rather than have YouTube remove the entire video.
YouTube has for a while given those who post videos that include unauthorized copyright music an option of swapping that music for songs that have been pre-cleared. If they don't like that option then YouTube gives them a second choice between having the video removed or turning off the sound, the company said.
"This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by all copyright holders," says a note from YouTube posted to a video with no sound. "The audio has been disabled."
Representatives from Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group declined to comment.
YouTube's muting policy has been in place for a while. The only reason it's coming to light now is because of the spat between YouTube and Warner Music.
YouTube had licensing deals in place with all four of the major labels. Last month, talks to re-negotiate Warner's deal with YouTube broke down and Warner has pulled out of YouTube. Most of the music being silenced now belongs to Warner.
There's no word yet on when that stalemate might end. At the same time, YouTube is trying to renegotiate deals with the other three labels.
If YouTube can't cut new agreements with the other record companies, YouTube could bring back a new era in silent pictures.
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. He is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sandoCNET. 
The audio was blocked. My first thought was "WHAT?"
I quickly searched and found several uploads of Dragonforce music videos and songs - NOT uploaded by the official DForce channel - all still with sound.
I think I can expect every video of kids dancing to fun music, parties that happen to play unlicensed music, raves and public performances caught on home video, DDR, beatmania, stepmania, guitar hero, and Audiosurf videos all muted.
YouTube should instead warn viewers only once they get a complaint about a video that they have, say, 24 hours to mute their video... or something. It seems like this is a ploy for YouTube to put more responsibility on the uploader. If a company has a problem with a video, YouTube can just play the "well, we let them mute your content" card... or something. Few people are going to willingly mute their own videos because without sound, 99% of those videos are worthless anyway, and YouTube can have fun deleting them.
WMG is now issuing formal DMCA Copyright Infringement notices to YouTube to get videos removed so some users are now getting nasty copyright infringement e-mails along with having their videos removed. Channels will be suspended because of this.
- by OmegaWolf747 July 6, 2009 9:02 AM PDT
- Or we could just do away with all these archaic copyright laws and let people express themselves freely.
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