Does this mean that the 80s videos on YouTube are doomed?
YouTube representatives have said that they are in talks with record labels about distributing official music videos online. But it’s the long-running trend of unofficial distribution that’s got Universal Music Group chief Doug Morris upset. Morris said at a conference this week that sites like YouTube and MySpace “are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars,” according to an Associated Press report. [Source]
I do think Morris is missing the big picture here. Let the videos be freely distributed on YouTube and watch the DVD and record sales. Maybe they simply require an ad at the end of the video promoting a Universal distributor. If they force the removal of the videos, I know I’d have no reason to seek them out but because someone linked to the video, I have a reason to watch it. To watch the video is a reminder that I liked the song. To be reminded that I like the song is an opportunity for me to consider purchasing the song.
