Tuesday 15 July 2008

Copy-right Problems on YouTube

Copyright issues are starting to make problems for YouTube and even more important, for the privacy of users, since Viacom is suing YouTube.

But the problem is present also in Slovenia, although in different form.

About two weeks ago I watched one of the commercial television programs: A kanal (owned together with other Slovene commercial TV program POP TV by an American company: Central European Media Enterprises Group) and they introduced a new show: TV TUBA (or TV Tube in English).

In this show they publish short movies that users provide on the online video sharing portal owned by the same channel owner: Frendi in flirt. I was shocked to see that next to personal and originally produced videos, the first show aired mostly videos produced by other (mostly foreign) television channels which circle around emails and are available also on YouTube. I remember the signing lady from Bulgaria for instance. So I mailed the postmaster of Frendi and Flirt an official email regarding their copy rights and complaining also about the fact that they do not inform video sharers that their videos could be published also on the TV show. I did not receive any answer, but the next time I watched the show I did not see any copyrighted material anymore (but I admit that I did not watch the whole show).

I am not really sure on how to decide on copyrights regarding YouTube, where the users are those who publish copyrighted material. But I am sure that such material should not be used for an entertaining local TV show which brings money to the TV station.

No comments: