Posted March 9, 200916 yr YouTube to block UK music videos By Darren Waters Technology editor, BBC News website Premium music videos will not be accessible to UK YouTube users YouTube is blocking all premium music videos to UK users after failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the Performing Right Society (PRS). Thousands of videos will be unavailable to YouTube users from later on Monday. 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". The PRS has asked YouTube to reconsider its decision as a "matter of urgency". This action has been taken without any consultation with PRS for Music and in the middle of negotiations between the two parties PRS statement The body, which represents music publishers, added: "Google has told us they are taking this step because they wish to pay significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing. "This action has been taken without any consultation with PRS for Music and in the middle of negotiations between the two parties." Mr Walker told BBC News the PRS was seeking a rise in fees "many, many factors" higher than the previous agreement. He said: "We feel we are so far apart that we have to remove content while we continue to negotiate with the PRS." "We are making the message public because it will be noticeable to users on the site." Consumers must be scratching their heads in amazement at such obstacles to delivering legal content in a timely and straightforward fashion. Darren Waters, Technology editor, BBC News website Read more on the Dot.Life blog Videos will begin to be blocked from 1800 GMT with the majority of them made inaccessible over the next two days. YouTube pays a licence to the PRS which covers the streaming of music videos from three of the four major music labels and many independent labels. Stream online While deals with individual record labels cover the use of the visual element and sound recording in a music video, firms that want to stream online also have to have a separate deal with music publishers which covers the music and lyrics. In the UK, the PRS acts as a collecting society on behalf of member publishers for licensing fees relating to use of music. YouTube stressed that it continued to have "strong partnerships" with three of the four largest record labels in the world. Mr Walker said the PRS was asking for a "prohibitive" rise in the cost of a new license. While not specifying the rate the PRS was seeking, he said: "It has to be a rate than can drive a business model. We are in the business for the long run and we want to drive the use of online video. "The rate they are applying would mean we would lose significant amounts of money on every stream of a music video. It is not a reasonable rate to ask." New deal YouTube has also complained of a lack of transparency by the PRS, saying the organisation would not specify exactly which artists would be covered by any new deal. "That's like asking a consumer to buy a blank CD without knowing what musicians are on it," a statement from YouTube UK says on its official blog. YouTube is the world's most popular online video site but has been under increased pressure to generate more revenue since its purchase by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006. "We are not willing to do this [new licensing deal] at any cost," said Mr Walker. He said the issue was an industry-wide one and not just related to YouTube. "By setting rates that don't allow new business models to flourish, nobody wins." Services such as Pandora.com, MySpace UK and Imeem have also had issues securing licence deals in the UK in the last 12 months. --- Well that's the end of the cheap entries in BJSC at least :lol:
March 9, 200916 yr As far as I understand it's only affecting videos that are uploaded offically - not by fans etc.
March 9, 200916 yr YouTube is CRAP! Good thing I'm moving to AUS, I can still be as cheap as I like in BJSC (not that I want to) this is a BAAD idea. Very bad!
March 9, 200916 yr Nooooooooooooooooooooo. Anyway I prefer Dailymotion but they don't seem to have as many videos.
March 9, 200916 yr Is it the start of the downfall of YouTube? Start? It started when Google took over :angry:
March 9, 200916 yr Start? It started when Google took over :angry: By the end of 2009 would YouTube have hit the rock bottom?
March 9, 200916 yr Um, no way Paul. Why do you have a fetish for ridiculous Sun-esque predictions by the way Paul? :mellow:
March 9, 200916 yr Its been crap for a very long time. Loads of amazing videos have been deleted and keep getting deleted, whether they're music related, soaps, films, or even just clips of certain things. Plus not to mention the annoying "not available in your area" thing which is absolute bollocks. Dailymotion has been better in the last few years, but even that is starting to slowly go the youtube way with labels and companys pressuring the website. And it has a lot less material available.
March 9, 200916 yr All my videos have been deleted even though the Mercury label themselves have seen them and have congratulated me on them <_< Edited March 9, 200916 yr by Joao.
March 9, 200916 yr By the end of 2009 would YouTube have hit the rock bottom? And then lost alot of users?
March 9, 200916 yr So the music industry shoots itself in the foot again. Youtube is one of the ways I investigate new music. If I like something I've heard there enough, I'll buy it. They should look at sites like youtube as a way of promoting music rather than as a threat.
March 9, 200916 yr http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type...esinos&aq=f :D Will only accelerate the growth of Spotify..... vimeo>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>youtube Obvs
March 9, 200916 yr http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type...esinos&aq=f :D Will only accelerate the growth of Spotify..... Obvs Hope not I am not going to give my details to Spotify when their security is so crap as was shown last week by the stealing of member information
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