Japanese Rights Holders Upset with YouTube

By Ed Oswald | Published December 5, 2006, 2:44 PM

A Japanese entertainment group is not happy with YouTube's progress in weeding out copyrighted content, and is asking the social video site to implement stricter policies on video uploads.

The Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (Jasrac) expressed its concerns in a letter addressed to YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. In it, the group said that problems with the posting of copyrighted content persist, and the current system "is not functioning well."

About 30,000 videos were deleted in October by YouTube at the request of the group. However, since then videos with content that the Jasrac's members own the copyrights to have reappeared. This has led the group to request changes be made to the system.

Jasrac would like to see YouTube implement a screening system to catch copyrighted content before it appears on the site. In addition, it wanted offending members removed and a notice posted in Japanese regarding illegal downloads. A response has been requested by December 15.

While some of the requests would likely be honored without a problem, it is unlikely that YouTube could implement a system where a group of editors approve each video before it is posted to the site.

According to the YouTube, it sees nearly 65,000 clips uploaded each day, and to sift through each one could prove to be a daunting task.

Instead, it has chosen a more technology-based solution to sniff out possible cases of copyright infringement. For example, an audio-signature program analyzes clips to see if they are copies of copyright material.

Also, in an effort to appease copyright holders, YouTube has reached licensing deals with CBS, and three labels, including Warner, Universal, and Sony BMG.

Comments

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It could be worse.

At least the Germans aren't angry with them... ;-)

(Simpsons ref.)

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YouTube will be as exciting as a shopping mall in a few months and then...lo and behold, a new pretender will come....

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I knew eventually someone would have the balls to take on Google. And they will be crushed. Mercilessly (If they ever gain the stomach to sue Google).

Well, good-luck Japland!

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well, at least they're not suing yet

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Suing isn't a popular method here in Japan.
Threats, blackmails, suicides usually works here in Japan. also using Mafias to threaten works.

The underground society is much more public accepted here, unfortunately.
one good thing is that JASRAC is COMPLETELY idiotic and famous for its lack of understanding of technology. So, if someone manage to convince JASRAC that they'll come up with a technology that can weed and filter out all the videos, probably JASRAC will wait few... years for that to happen.

Which, isn't really that possible.

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