Viacom Versus Google - Clash of the Titans?
Viacom Sues YouTube. Well, you knew it’d happen. Here’s a snippet from the linked article:
YouTube’s soaring popularity has been a cause of fascination but also fear among the owners of traditional media outlets, who worry that YouTube’s displaying of user-uploaded clips from their programs - without compensation - will lure away viewers and ad dollars from cable and broadcast TV.
Right. Somehow I just don’t see Joe Six-Pack saying, “Hey, Hon! Let’s cancel Comcast. We can all huddle around and watch fuzzy video on Joe Jr.’s computer monitor!” (And - uh, Viacom? Joe and the family are already ignoring the ads or happily recording, TIVOing and/or Netflixing to avoid the commercials entirely.)
I’m with Doc Searls on this one - it’d be interesting to see the trial. (Think we’ll be able to watch for free on YouTube??? heh)
I’d think Viacom should be thrilled for the exposure. More people might want to come over and watch the whole show if they enjoy the free clip (I certainly do.) Of course, Viacom - like other big media - also needs to drastically rethink their entire business model. Ah well.
(Above image is from the classic “so bad it’s good” 1981 movie. About as silly as this lawsuit.)
If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so. It may take a bit to show up since I hate making people type in little letters (I can’t read most of them myself) - so I moderate all comments. Feel free to disagree - debate is healthy. However, I’ve blacklisted the worst obscenities, including the “f” word.
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March 13th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Whose Crazier—- Viacom or Tom Cruise?
Are you kidding? A Billion Dollars. That Austin Powers thing.There’s only one thing missing from this Suetube—the law. Unauthorized is not illegal. It will never make it to court. Google employees didn’t put Via’s content there; YouTube’s users did.Viacom is trying, Mono e Mono, to turn the TV industry into the music industry. Think 1984: The BetaMax Case.
Young Companies Innovate.Old Geezers Litigat
March 13th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
The Viacom vs. Google trial on YouTube — why do I just love your wicked sense of humor?
You remind me of my friend Stan in highschool. He was the only one who was reading people like Ken Kesey and saying stuff that made you think and laugh at the same time. If I could find Stan and put you two in a room it would be more fun than Cable!
Keep creating…I know you will,
Mike