Tech & Biz

YouTube Blocks UK Music Videos

by Jordan Yerman | March 9, 2009 at 10:25 am

414 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

Licensing: working once again to keep creative works out of the public eye. In this case, Google is removing professionally-submitted music videos from its Youtube UK site, having failed to come up with a licensing agreement with the Performing Right Society (PRS).

PRS asserts that the schism is due to Google's not wanting to pay more for licensing fees, though music videos drive a great deal of traffic.

Youtube will be having it both ways, though, since surely copied videos (added by users other than offical labels or bands) will continue to appear on Youtube, thus driving that traffic anyway.

Patrick Walker, YouTube's director of video partnerships, told BBC News that the move was "regrettable".
Steve Porter, head of the PRS, said he was "outraged... shocked and disappointed" by YouTube's decision.

In a statement, Mr Porter said the move "punishes British consumers and the songwriters whose interests we protect and represent".

While PRS paints Google as the bad guy, Google responds by saying that PRS is demanding too much money for the partnership to remain viable.

Videos will be blocked as of today.

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terry dee (not verified)

at 13:50 on March 9th, 2009

Like many hundreds of music lovers I have enjoyed the facility of seeing all these wonderful acts and artists since my introduction to utube from a buddy some time a go. Surely greed is once again the main reason for this happening. Are both party,s acting in the same way as the world economy. Grab Grab Gimme Gimme Bust Bust. Both are powerful in their own right, I just hope they are not making a terrible mistake here.....