The Site Formerly Known as YouTube
by
on September 13, 2007,
Sooner or later I will end up suing YouTube I just know it, but in the mean time pop star Prince is next in line. The music artist plans to sue YouTube and other major Web sites for copyright infringement for using his music. According to Prince YouTube cannot claim that they have no control over what is submitted to their site. YouTube filters porn and other questionable or illegal submissions and Prince's representatives contend that the video site "creatively" turns a blind eye to music and film content.
Sensitive Prince Charming
In a statement today on Reuters: "Prince strongly believes artists as the creators and owners of their music need to reclaim their art." Given the artist's past behavior, including giving away his music for free via a British newspaper, one has to wonder at exactly what Prince feels strongly about outside of self aggrandizement? The Reuters article points out that this latest "stunt" (my words) is likely an effort to appease record label executives and retailers (which I am sure Prince does feel strongly about).
YouTube Whaah!
YouTube took the familiar posture of "crying" about how difficult the task of purging Prince from the system is. YouTube chief counsel Zahavah Levine told Reuters: "We have great partnerships with major music labels all over the world that understand the benefit of using YouTube as another way to communicate with their fans." This sounds pretty good even for a Google mouthpiece, but I don't buy either end of this dog and pony show. I get this mental picture of some pencil neck shrugging his shoulders and saying: "Who me?" every time these stories come to light. We are expected to believe these millionaires just jumped off the turnip boat or something. Stop Please!
No Hero?
Prince is also going after eBay and Pirate Bay for alleged piracy of princely property. If we did not have enough "wacky" names involved (if the judge is my age he will be looking at the ceiling) Prince has hired "Web Sheriff" to gun down YouTube. So now what we have is the Web's biggest content pirate being hunted down by British marshals (wearing bowlers and goulashes no doubt) employed by a man named nobody or Prince. This is the Twilight Zone. If Prince cared about the "art" so much one would think he would be making more of it rather than whining over 20 year old tune mashups. This one is too close to call for me - I just don't find a frog between the video princess and the prince.
