Most companies have an inherent conflict between its legal and marketing teams. YouTube is in the interestng position of having this conflict play out on their site... From the Hollywood Reporter (via LostRemote)...
YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley says in some cases, the same company is both uploading video and ordering YouTube to take it down. "There's been a few examples of marketing departments uploading content directly to the site, while on the other side of the company their attorney is demanding we remove this content," Hurley said.
We've covered YouTube's massive jump in popularity and the headaches that come with it here, here and here. These issues won't be solved anytime soon, but, at least, YouTube in taking a great stride forward in managing them by hiring superstar attorney Zahavah Levine from RealNetworks as their General Counsel and V.P. of Business Affairs. Levine's experience in dealing with the big content players operate while at Listen.com and Real (after Listen was bought) will be invaluable to YouTube.
More from the Hollywood Reporter piece on how YouTube is making friends with content owners...
"YouTube has been a good corporate citizen and taken off copyrighted material," an MPAA spokeswoman says. "We'll continue to monitor what they do. Right now the indication is they are willing to work with us."
YouTube is starting to see a trickle of established players sign on for promotional partnerships. Matador Records is spreading the word on Pretty Girls Make Graves by allowing viewers to submit music videos for the band's upcoming single. Cable network MTV2 has provided clips from upcoming programming including "The Andy Milonakis Show" that links back to the MTV2 Web site. Even advertisers are on board, as Nike has seeded the site with video clips promoting its footwear.
This week, Dimension entrusted YouTube with the trailer for its upcoming film "Scary Movie 4," which promptly garnered 200,000 streams in its first 15 hours on the site.
Here's one of the Pretty Girls Make Graves fan created videos. Great marketing...
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