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Universal seek MySpace, YouTube royalties

Written by Ben Reid @ 16 Sep 2006 6:38 User comments (14)

Universal seek MySpace, YouTube royalties The chief of Universal Music Group, the world's largest record label, has hinted that the company may sue viral video sharing site YouTube for copyright infringement.
"We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars," said UMG boss Doug Morris, speaking at a conference this week. "How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."

YouTube has grown to become one of the world's most-visited Websites, largely due to the wealth of copyrighted material available on the site.

UMG is also mediating with News Corporation, parent company of MySpace, for a share of performance royalties on the site. MySpace has refused to pay such royalties thus far, and its European VP justified its refusal recently, saying that MySpace users "... are interacting with music in the same way as they would in everyday life - in a store or on the radio", rather than committing any form of copyright infringement.



Radio stations however, (with the exception of U.S. Radio stations), do in fact pay royalties for the music they air. So if MySpace operates a similar model to radio stations, one would think it should be paying royalties to recording companies like UMG, just as the radios do.

Source:
The Register

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14 user comments

116.9.2006 09:34

oh this is starting to get nasty! and were now get BIG companies going at each other!

216.9.2006 10:07

Quote: (with the exception of U.S. Radio stations) End Quote. Quote: So if MySpace operates a similar model to radio stations, one would think it should be paying royalties to recording companies like UMG, just as the radios do. End Quote. With the exception of U.S. Myspaces. Right? ;)

316.9.2006 11:56

i havent been here in a long time. i have to say that i really enjoy being apart of this community, and that afterdawn and its users have helped me many times in the past. i hate these big companies. now i dont really kno to much about youtube, but wtf !!!!! if only seen random videos on ppls myspaces , that are just music vids or some other shity quality video. who cares........... fuck u RIAA, miaa, and DRM associates

416.9.2006 12:05

Gradical, nice theory ;)

516.9.2006 13:48

ok to start they have no proof that the poeple on myspace dont own the music that they are posting on thier site. With that being said it is leagle for me to share the cd's i buy with my friends THATS WHY I BUY THEM. Myspace is and i quote "a community of friends for friends" so they have no lawsuite that i can see making it further than the people who run the myspace and youtube getting scared and following leagle action for harrasment. Nghtpunisher signing out

616.9.2006 14:59

Quote:
"We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars," said UMG boss Doug Morris, speaking at a conference this week. "How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."
Have these big companies ever thought that sites like these don't actually let the person view the whole movie. Ok mayb a whole music video but in the long run its all advertising for them anyway. So instead of sueing the sites they should be thanking them, for the exposure. If I see something on those video sites i like and it comes from a full length DVD I go out and get me a copy. Therefore the company gets the money anyway.

716.9.2006 16:58

The companies are just mad that they didn't have the business idea first. You know if they successfully shut down that site, they'll just open their own one just like it.

816.9.2006 17:15

Quote:
The companies are just mad that they didn't have the business idea first. You know if they successfully shut down that site, they'll just open their own one just like it.
I totally agree with you on that. The only question i can come up with now is. Instead of sueing the site why dont they just buy the site out right. In this way it gets rif of lawyers and all that crapp they have to go through.

916.9.2006 22:06

WTF? LEAVE YOUTUBE ALONE, YOU BASTARDS! Your losing money because your movies suck SH&*, not because of youtube. Youtube needs to defend itself and countersue these mofrickers

1017.9.2006 10:54

The Miffia is wanting thier cut again....look at net radip iffy qauilty you never know quite what you get and BOOM the man came he saw he shut down and now how many worth while free net radio sites are there? Gradical my space has yet to totally sell out to the corporations like 99.9% of radio stations have been,gotta love that robot DJ that replays the same songs daily! nghtpnshr I think Uni is pissed that soem of their lables are giveing out free songs on myspace *L* god dont they even know of free advertizeing anymore?

1117.9.2006 11:29

SOB's

1218.9.2006 11:49

anything for more money...

1319.9.2006 08:00
gogochar
Inactive

Well, better download all that you can now because the clock is tickin'.

1419.9.2006 09:44
Achilles3
Inactive

Well people look at the bright side. Why do you think they're going after everything now that they believe MIGHT break copyrights laws, my friends I will tell you why. BECAUSE they are losing money on their movies and music sales, hence why they need to make up for that loss by suing senselessly. So keep up the fight my brothers, do not buy any music or movies. Show them that the consumers always win in the end, not some corporate pigs.

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