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C-4
09-20-2006, 07:53 AM
Industry Focus / Here are a couple of articles on the ever popular YouTube website. It seems the site, which is more or less the steaming video equivalent to what Napster was, could go the same route as the infamous file sharing program.

From: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5357390.stm
Video-sharing site YouTube has signed a deal with media giant Warner Music to allow its material to be used legally. It means interviews and videos by Warner's artists can be used in return for a slice of advertising revenue.
The agreement also covers the use of material in homemade videos, which form a large part of YouTube's content. Both companies hailed it as a landmark agreement, coming days after Universal Music said it was considering legal action over sites such as YouTube.
A royalty-tracking system has been developed by YouTube to detect when videos on the site are using copyrighted material and work out how much Warner is owed in advertising revenue.
The technology would also enable Warner to review homemade videos and decide whether to approve or reject them.
Chad Hurley, who helped set up YouTube in a Californian garage just 19 months ago, said "We are very excited. This is a real landmark for our company."
Warner Music Group, the world's fourth largest record company, includes artists such as Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day, as well as vintage names like Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Ray Charles.
Warner Music chairman Edgar Bronfman said "Consumer-empowering destinations like YouTube have created a two-way dialogue that will transform entertainment and media forever."

Microsoft to launch YouTube rival [Wow, there's a surprise!]
Microsoft is aiming to capitalise on the user-generated video phenomenon by launching an online service to compete with YouTube, Google and Yahoo. Soapbox starts testing on Tuesday and will launch within six months as part of current service, MSN Video.
"It's really early days in online video; this is still act one," said MSN's Rob Bennett. YouTube had 34 million visitors last month, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, while MSN Video attracts about 12m.
"We're definitely not blind to the fact that YouTube has a big lead right now," said Mr Bennett, general manager of MSN's entertainment and video services. The video-sharing market has proved increasingly popular with users in the last 12 months with services such as YouTube crossing over into mainstream success.
MSN Video was once the most popular video site until fans of user-generated content propelled YouTube, MySpace and Google past Microsoft. MySpace video receives 17.9 million visitors a month and Google Video attracts 13.5 million each month, according to Nielsen.
"Microsoft is jumping on this bandwagon with some uncertainty with where it's going, but the company believes it needs to be on board," Joe Wilcox, an analyst at Jupiter Research, told Reuters news agency.
The testing period is by invitation only although users are encouraged to apply for invitation on the website. However, the site was hit by a technical problem on Tuesday which told users: "Oops. It's not anything you did - it's us. Our site's down. Please try again later."
Microsoft has said it will take down any copyrighted material uploaded by users without permission once it is alerted by the rights holder.
The firm said the service would work with users of computers running both Windows and Apple operating systems and would support browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.
Soapbox will also support a number of video file formats and delivery methods, according to Microsoft. An early review of the Soapbox beta by website Cnet said it was "disappointing".
"It's a slightly better sharing service than YouTube in some small technical ways," wrote Cnet's Rafe Needleman.

I sure hope this does not affect this site!
Stephen

General Patton
09-20-2006, 08:15 PM
Oh no...

(ten word thingy)

bt_bird_90
09-21-2006, 06:24 AM
Well, now I feel better that I have Warner's permission to use teh interweb.

Oh, and that crazy hipster Micro$oft, you're so rad!