Universal Vs. YouTube, MySpace

Universal Music Group, the world's largest record company, contends the wildly popular websites YouTube and MySpace are violating copyright laws by allowing users to post music videos and other content involving Universal artists.

"We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars," Universal Music CEO Doug Morris told investors Wednesday at a conference in Pasadena. "How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."

Universal's talks with YouTube Inc. have deteriorated and the recording giant is set to file a copyright infringement lawsuit against the video-sharing company if no agreement is reached by the end of the month, according to a person familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the confidential nature of the negotiations.

Universal's talks with News Corp.'s MySpace have been progressing, the person said.

A call to YouTube seeking comment was not immediately returned. MySpace declined to comment.

The prospect of Universal Music or other record labels suing MySpace or YouTube represents a departure from the way the recording industry has interacted with the sites thus far.

Read more on the issue at AP.

Comments

[Crookedjon]

Nevermind that video's on youtube are nowhere near good quality most of the time.

[Exkitty]

Trying to stop this is useless. Why not shut down the internet while you're at it?

Meh, Universal aren't responsible for anything I find interesting. Unless I decide that I like generic romcoms and uncomedic comedies.

Guys, you can state your opinions on the subject, but please avoid excessive profanity/spam/flaming, try to state your opinion in a mature manner.

Checked.

[billruption26]

lol it really does seem at times like they are trying to shut down the internet. but seriously its not like the ppl postin music videos with other songs are making any money off them, therefore how are they breaking copyright?

[rjc_15]

This is sad. No tabs (mostly), and now no music videos? What's next? I mean, seriously, I'm sure it's helping the exposure of some bands. So why fight it if they aren't losing money?

[RedNovember]

The bands aren't fighting it. The record company is fighting it. Just goes to show you that record exec's are just a bunch of *******s trying to get top dollar for stuff.

[crash_course]

rjc_15 wrote:

This is sad. No tabs (mostly), and now no music videos? What's next? I mean, seriously, I'm sure it's helping the exposure of some bands. So why fight it if they aren't losing money?

seems as if theyre almost trying to get people to stop covering songs and posting them

[sucay]

if i was the universals owner i sue them too, tens of millions of dollars are never bad ...

[deathinfire2112]

RedNovember wrote:

The bands aren't fighting it. The record company is fighting it. Just goes to show you that record exec's are just a bunch of *****s trying to get top dollar for stuff.

i second that motion

[imthehitcher]

record companies are evil,
i heard a guy frm a major label say'if evry1 downlaoded music for free thered b no major labels and music wudnt b globilised so evryone wud have togo back to local live acts etc.'
and that sounded like a fukin gd idea to me

[scream_it]

Why is it that everytime something good comes along where people can see and hear music people get sued? Im sure there are tons of people out there that go on these websites find a song they like and go out and buy the album. And its a way for people to explore new music without spending the 17.99 for an album with 1 good song. Record Exec's should stop being so greedy and let it go, they have enough money. As long as there are fans of music there will be music available for free.

[Paddles]

I wish Universal good luck on taking down two of the most popular communities on the Internet.

[i_baked_cookies]

Haha, "we want tens of millions of dollars". Kiss my ass record companies, go eat a dick. That Ferrari driving CEO of theirs just envies the new F430 and wants 10 of them in diffent colors.

[dertjoe]

the only bad part is theyll pry win since universal owns 3/4 of the industry

[Dowza]

Myspace is OWNED by Rupert Murdoch. In case you dont know, hes ****in rich. Its not like they are suing little websites anymore.

[wingedgopher]

the wheels have started turning and its way too late to stop them now. good luck with that universal.

[rob_666_666]

everyones just suing everyone nowadays... they not loosing money so who cares?

[james86]

F=== all record companies what if I share videos they are such pissers all they always care are their money

[metal4life66613]

how can they want money when myspace advertises music for them for free? if anyone should get money it should be myspace for getting the names out of bands! i think bands should go on strike a prove its not about the money but the music. except metallica

[TeenBite]

Jesus. If you can tell me why I'm destroying the music industry by looking at music videos, then I'll give you £10,000.

[ready4thebreak]

The thing that cracks me up is that they're suing them over videos. You can watch videos for free on MTV(unless its a good band thats most likely underground and not signed to universal). So someone explain to me why I cant go to myspace or youtube and watch videos on there. Then the agrument for that is "oh you must have cable to pay for the cable stations," but if that's your agrument then dont i pay for internet every month? Man, I'm almost ashamed to be a musician anymore. This isnt art, this is just a different kind of stock market. I wonder how long it will be before someone who owns the rights to classical music(i.e. mozart and stuff) will start suing every record company claiming that they invented music and that everyone has stolen the idea of playing an instrument from them. lol(but it could happen considering every other suing scenario has come up at some point or an other)

[I_Dont_Know]

ready4thebreak wrote:

The thing that cracks me up is that they're suing them over videos. You can watch videos for free on MTV(unless its a good band thats most likely underground and not signed to universal). So someone explain to me why I cant go to myspace or youtube and watch videos on there. Then the agrument for that is "oh you must have cable to pay for the cable stations," but if that's your agrument then dont i pay for internet every month? Man, I'm almost ashamed to be a musician anymore. This isnt art, this is just a different kind of stock market. I wonder how long it will be before someone who owns the rights to classical music(i.e. mozart and stuff) will start suing every record company claiming that they invented music and that everyone has stolen the idea of playing an instrument from them. lol(but it could happen considering every other suing scenario has come up at some point or an other)

mtv pays like 3,000 dollars for every video they play

[I_Dont_Know]

ready4thebreak wrote:

The thing that cracks me up is that they're suing them over videos. You can watch videos for free on MTV(unless its a good band thats most likely underground and not signed to universal). So someone explain to me why I cant go to myspace or youtube and watch videos on there. Then the agrument for that is "oh you must have cable to pay for the cable stations," but if that's your agrument then dont i pay for internet every month? Man, I'm almost ashamed to be a musician anymore. This isnt art, this is just a different kind of stock market. I wonder how long it will be before someone who owns the rights to classical music(i.e. mozart and stuff) will start suing every record company claiming that they invented music and that everyone has stolen the idea of playing an instrument from them. lol(but it could happen considering every other suing scenario has come up at some point or an other)

oh and also your comment about suing for copying music made my day.

[mmcintosh]

Universal are just money hungry !!!! they want to put there share of the markup on it then sell it back to you, oh i should be careful they might sue me !!! but they should of tryed to put a lid on this a bit more earlyier than this good luck the internet cant be stopped

[imthehitcher]

I_DONT_KNOW
ur rite they do get payed and their bastards for it,
do u kno of evry pound u spend on a CD only about 6p of it gets to the artist(it various sumtimes more or less) i fuking hate all major labels and hope that they die a painful death,
i also hate bands that have *****d themselves for these labels *cough*MCR*cough*Greenday
*cough*

[imthehitcher]

^ i sed Wh ored there^

[woodfromnorway]

hahaha i hate myspace. serves them right. wankers.

dear imthehitcher,
please don't turn this into a 'i hate green day' post. i would appreciate if you would remove your head from under your armpit and shut up.

[desimate]

how do they owe universal a load of money? you cant download any videos off of them sites, and the sites dont make money off of the videos, universal arent even really losin anythin, its the swame as watchin it tv rlly

[Vinura]

oh whatever

[laparsons]

myspace is for emo kids...

[LucasGtrGod]

myspace is for emo kids...

that's besides the point, i mean really these sites if anything are beneficial to record companies, because alot of people such as myself, go to these websites to check out a new band or whatever they've heard about and see if they're alright, if they're good then people will buy them. I guess universal is worried because they realise that they basically have no good artists in the first place. And the whole thing aoubt people posting their cover versions on youtube is basically just freedom of speech, why sohuldn't people be allowed to put video's of themselves on the internet playing other peoples songs. Freedom jsut isn't free because of these leaching, bloodsucking corporations.

[dantesdead]

the music industry should learn something here ok ... they sued napster up sprung kazaa ... they sued kazaa ... up sprung limewire

[Musical Meds]

"We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars,"

i don't believe you have to pay to be a member of youtube and myspace....

and youtube isnt selling videos, and myspace isnt selling its music.

universal doesnt think it makes enough money?

just another example of corporate greed..

[metaldier]

Holy crap.. I love reading these comments. so good. Universal is very money hungry indeed. god damn

[bigman81]

dantesdead wrote:

the music industry should learn something here ok ... they sued napster up sprung kazaa ... they sued kazaa ... up sprung limewire

GOOD POINT!
and I love this website.
If the facist communists take this tab site, I'll START A RIOT!!!!!
Who's with me?

[davidmcintosh03]

as much as it probably does infringe the copyright laws...

they were writen when online music worked diferently...

myspace has grown at a faster rate than i think anyone predicted, and its only natural for it to want to incorporate other features for users... and in my opinion instead of suing and making themself look bad at the 150 or so million myspace users, why not join up and use that to promote themself? seems abit better of an idea to me