Features | 2006.10.21 JASRAC Cracks the Whip on YouTube When I logged onto YouTube today to check out some Cornelius videos, I didn't have much problem digging up what I was looking for. Lucky for me, his whimsical "Tone Twilight Zone" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xQI0R_87Afc) wasn't one of the 29,549 Japanese clips that were recently yanked from the world's largest video service following a request from the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). JASRAC, which collects royalty payments for musicians, submitted a list to YouTube of 29,549 files it claims infringed on the rights of 23 Japanese content companies, said JASRAC spokesman Masato Oikawa. The files are mostly entertainment and music TV programs, and were discovered during a five-day audit of the site that started October 2. The San Bruno, CA company quickly complied with the request to remove the copyright materials. The 23 companies backing up JASRAC's request include all of Japan’s major TV networks, public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), some regional and cable TV broadcasters, and other organizations including the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) and Yahoo Japan. This is not the first time YouTube has caught the attention of Japanese broadcasters, having been asked earlier this year by NHK to remove a children's song. However, this request was remarkable for its size and highlights the mounting criticism about the vast amounts of pirated material on YouTube. YouTube launched in 2005, and was an immediate hit among web users. Most videos posted are homemade, including everything from stupid pet tricks to actual fistfights to amateur music videos, but the site also features loads of copyright material, posted primarily by individual users. Companies routinely ask YouTube to delete clips that violate copyright laws, and in some cases seek information that helps to identify those who posted the material. Under U.S. copyright laws, Web sites such as YouTube aren't liable for the material posted on them by third parties unless such sites entice users to violate copyright laws. However, analysts continue to wonder about YouTube’s ability to avoid lawsuits in the long run, and many believe the pending $1.65 billion of the company by Google will accelerate such lawsuits. In an effort to avoid litigation and get access to quality video clips, YouTube has recently entered into licensing agreements with the several major Hollywood studios, including Universal Music Group and CBS Corp. As part of the agreements, YouTube will provide the studios with technology allowing them to identify their videos and help ensure that previously removed clips don't reappear. While many Japan-origin clips are posted and viewed by people outside of Japan, YouTube is rapidly growing in popularity with Japanese users, with the number of monthly users from Japan growing tenfold from 201,000 at the end of 2005 to well over 2 million at present, according to numbers from NetRatings Japan. The site had 20.8 million unique visitors in the United States in September, up 9% from August, according to comScore Media Metrix. Globally, users of the Web site currently watch more than 100 million video clips daily, according to YouTube. by Bill Haw
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