Only months after being bought by search engine behemoth Google, YouTube is starting to see its share of troubles. Mega media conglomerate Viacom, which owns Paramount Pictures, MTV, Comedy Central, and VHI has asked the video-sharing website to remove over 100,000 unauthorized clips.
Although Viacom had been bickering for months about its pilfered copyrighted material, it is now saying that YouTube has failed to properly filter its videos (to which half the web world might gasp “No, really?”). No surprise there whatsoever. Just last week I caught Van Damme roundhouse kick his way to glory in Bloodsport via nine uploaded clips. Last Halloween I didn’t even need to turn on the TV to catch my fill of gore—some kind souls uploaded Friday the 13th parts I-III for myself and the world to enjoy. No telling how many movies have been thrown up there in the great collective/collaborative theater that is YouTube.
Says Viacom in an assuredly finger wagging fashion, "It has become clear that YouTube is unwilling to come to a fair market agreement that would make Viacom content available to YouTube users."
While YouTube has agreed to heed Viacom’s request, it also shot back its own pip and squeak according to TV.com, ""It is unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows."
Last October, Viacom fussed especially over the widespread digital dispersal of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show.’ While this led to one of YouTube’s first real crack downs, fans only got smarter, with sites like Gorillamask.net and Yesbutnobutyes.com either linking to or hosting videos of John Stewart and his hilarious pack of reporters. I guess free publicity it would not otherwise get on YouTube is somehow bad publicity in Viacom’s eyes.
