Media $1.65 Billion* (*Colbert Not Included)
posted by on October 30 at 17:05 PM
As reported everywhere, YouTube is purging itself of all content with copyrights owned by Comedy Central—which is to say The Daily Show, the Colbert Report, and South Park (which must constitute a significant percentage of YouTube viewership). Other TV shows, and music videos whose copyrights are owned by major labels will surely follow, along with most other even vaguely copyrighted material that isn’t explicitly licensed by the owner for online use. There will obviously be exceptions, but all the newish clips we’ve gotten used to sharing will again relegated to the world of P2P and bittorrent sharing, and YouTube will become an outlet for sanctioned TV and movie commercials and cell phone movies of kittens climbing curtains. And the Daily Show clips will cost $1.99.
YouTube is shaping up to be the top-loading VCR of the digital age. Or maybe another kozmo.com? Too good for this world. Either way: pirates get your stream-recording software revved up in a hurry. Store’s closing.
Nothing like paying too much for something and then destroying what gave it any value in the first place.
That's the only reason I go to YouTube, as I don't have cable. Too bad for google that just when they acquired it, a large number of people will stop going there. All good things must come to an end. (and I lived in New York when kozmo.com was running, it was terrific)
interesting read
>>YouTube is shaping up to be the top-loading VCR of the digital age. Or maybe another kozmo.com? Too good for this world.
When I see yet another fun, useful thing bite the dust because it interferes with somebody's idea of how to make money (or keep from losing money. Or lose money less quickly. Or something.) I turn for inspiration to a speech that Jack Black delivers to a classroom full of bright-eyed youngsters in a scene from that classic of modern cinema, School of Rock.
"Don't waste your time trying to make anything cool or pure or awesome. The Man's just gonna call you a fat, washed-up loser and crush your soul. So do yourselves a favor and just give up !
Pure poetry. Now, I'm off to watch some videos of cats climbing up curtains.
If you're really itchin' for Colbert/Stewart action, just go to ComedyCentral.com. Make sure not to use Internet Explorer (get firefox instead) and you won't have to watch their ads.
What's the source for that bit about the daily show clips costing $2? Is comedy central going to keep the clips on their own site for free? I'd pay to watch the daily show, but not $2 a day.
Copyright killed the video star.
Google is going to find out that their new toy is a lemon. I guess they don't care; it's probably a tax writeoff. So much for "don't be evil".
YouTube is the least of your worries when it comes to the "Gentle Giant"
Get your hot favorites now before they suck your videos out for using copyrighted music. I just knew when George figured out what the google was we were fucked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Sd_6deIjM
Fnarf, Google probably doesn't care too much if their new toy is a lemon; what matters is that it isn't a competitor anymore.
This clearly isn't a Google-led decision. Google doesn't make money selling content. It makes money selling ads. They don't give a damn if you watch Comedy Central clips for free.
Who cares? Comedy Central. And Comedy Central's talent pool. And Comedy Central's talent pool's lawyers; and their agents. All the people who should contractually make royalties whenever you get a chance to see their work.
What happened here is... YouTube didn't have *real* revenue. Google does. Google makes for a profitable target in a lawsuit.
Comedy Central wants people to watch its shows. Those clips do end up making them money - in the long run. But if Comedy Central and other content owners can get a slice of the Google ad business? That's gold. And that's what I'd bet they're after.
#8... good thing I turned down all those gmail invites.
Shoulda known this was coming. And yes, it's likely CC will no longer carry archived episodes on their site for free if they're gonna sell them on YouTube for $2. At least the video quality will be better. Of course, I won't pay to watch, thus I won't watch, but still.
noooooooooooooooo.....
where am I going to get the Daily Show... in Germany..
Youtube was saving me from getting cable and all mostly for The Daily Show and Southpark.
I need a hug real bad now. :(
#11 read #3
When Microsoft releases their I-Pod killer, YouTube will be dust. Everyone will be watching their Microsoft players instead.
The Microsoft team isn't just coming up with a great product that will kill I-Pods, the Microsoft product will be like having sex with their users. I can't wait.
Microsoft Rules.
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