News: Google officially announced the deployment of its new internal pop-up ads within YouTube videos. According to one report, “it is charging $20 per 1,000 times the banner ad is presented.” Furthermore, “the ads will be paired with videos supplied by YouTube’s professional partners, such as Warner Music Group, as well as a select number of user-generated videos. Those clips were produced by about 70 amateur filmmakers who were chosen by YouTube and who will share the advertising revenue.”
Also, the NYT reports: “With 51 million users in June, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, YouTube now attracts an audience that is larger than the combined audiences of its three nearest competitors, MySpace, AOL and Yahoo. Its adoption of overlay ads for online video could turn the format into an industry standard, advertising executives said. The video ad market, which is expected to nearly double from last year to $775 million, has been projected to grow to $4.3 billion by 2011, according to eMarketer, a research firm. “
Analysis: Not to toot my own horn, but I reported on this development on YouTube back on July 3rd and July 26th. The mainstream media are close to two months behind.
News: For the past couple months, I’ve been collecting data on all the presidential candidates’ videos on YouTube. Today, I’m publishing my first report, “Analyzing the Presidential Candidate Videos on YouTube August 2007.”
The report reaches two basic findings for the presidential candidate videos thus far:
(1) The presidential candidates have gained only a relatively modest amount of views and subscribers to their YouTube videos; and
(2) Republican candidate Ron Paul is, by a wide margin, the most popular candidate on YouTube, in terms of the average number of views per video and the number of subscribers to his YouTube channel.He also has the most total views on YouTube for any presidential candidate.
Here’s one slice of the report:
View the report: Click here. I’ve also set up a new blog called The YouTube President with a copy of the report. I’ll be collecting my reports there.
(Copyright permission: Please feel free to copy the report and re-use it, including the graphs, in other works, as long as attribution is given to Professor Edward Lee and The Utube Blog. Thanks.)
News: This video is a huge hit now on YouTube, with 4 million plus views. It was taken from prison in the Philippines. According to the write up, “1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines at practice! This is not the final routine, and definitely not a punishment! just a teaser.” The prison plans another YouTube video soon (here).
Analysis: Seems like a novel way to get exercise in prison and build some community. I wonder, though, if Michael Jackson gave copyright permission. I would like to see them do “Walk It Out.”
Guy steals laptop. Caught on video. Video posted on YouTube. And then: According to a New Zealand paper, “One viewer recognized the man [on YouTube] and alerted police. Dawson Anthony Bliss, 50, was convicted of theft in Greymouth District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty.” (More)
News: Online video site Veoh (a YouTube wannabe) just sued Universal Music, seeking a declaratory judgment that Veoh hasn’t committed copyright infringement and falls within the DMCA safe harbor. Apparently, Veoh anticipated being sued by Universal, so Veoh did it first. (More from Tech Crunch)
News: YouTube just redesigned the web page for its “You Choose ‘08″ feature for the presidential candidates. All the candidates now fit on one page, ordered by party, and there’s an “Introduction” video that a viewer can click for each candidate.
Analysis: What took YouTube this long? The major fault with the old page was that all the candidates were thrown on in random order (that changed randomly) and not by party. The candidates under the old way didn’t fit on one page, so a couple candidates were stuck on page 2, which you may not necessarily have known. The new page is much improved.
News: The online market for movie downloads is just in its infancy. Blockbuster just acquired Movielink to position itself in this emerging market and compete with the likes of Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and WalMart. (More)
News: Larry Ratliff has an excellent article describing how YouTube helped propel Andy Samberg’s career, first on Saturday Night Live, and then in his first feature film, “Hot Rod.”
Ironically, Samberg’s big break came when someone posted an unauthorized clip of his skit “Lazy Sunday” from Saturday Night Live onto YouTube. Before that, Samberg was relatively unknown. But after the video went viral on YouTube (getting over 5 million views), SNL signed Samberg and his Lonely Island crew fulltime. SNL produce Lorne Michaels also signed Samberg to star in his movie “Hot Rod.”
Of his YouTube fame, Samberg said: “We were very fortunate. That YouTube wave was coming, and we just happened to have a nice clip that landed on the crest of it. It got us a lot of attention just as it was swelling.”
News: It seems like everyone–except the recording industry–is suing YouTube. Here’s an update on all the cases.
(1) DROPPED: Robert Tur’s suit in California for the Reginald Denny beating video (with a request by Viacom + NBC Universal to file an amici brief). Tur just dropped his suit to join the class action suit with Premier League in (3) below.
( 2) Viacom’s suit in the Southern District of New York (for Daily Show, Colbert Report, Sponge Bob, South Park, MTV clips, etc.) Just had a scheduling conference; apparently will have another. Philip Beck is YouTube’s lead counsel. Don Verrilli is Viacom’s lead counsel. Judge Louis Stanton is presiding. Viacom International, Inc. v. YouTube Inc., 07-CV-02103. (Case docket from Justia)
(3) English Football Ass’n Premier League (soccer division) and Bourne Co. (U.S. music publisher) suit, with a request to certify a class action, in the Southern District of New York. So far, the Rugby Football League, the Finnish Football League, the National Music Publishers’ Association, and Knockout Entertainment Limited, Seminole Warriors Boxing, Robert Tur (from the 1st lawsuit), the Federation Francaise de Tennis, and Ligue de Football Professionnel. have also joined in the action. Also joining the class is New York-based Cherry Lane Music Publishing, which “owns more than 65,000 copyrights, including the publishing rights to music from Elvis, Quincy Jones, and the Black Eyed Peas.” Max Berger is lead counsel for Premier League; Philip Beck is lead counsel for YouTube. Judge, TBD. The Football Association Premier League Limited v. YouTube, Inc., 07 CV-3582. (Case docket from Justia)
(4) David Grisman, a mandolin player who performed with the Grateful Dead, along with his partner Craig Miller and company Dawg Music. They are also seeking to certify a class action of musicians against YouTube in the Northern District of California. Joseph Tabacco is lead counsel for Grisman. David Kramer is lead counsel for YouTube. Judge Susan Illston is presiding. Grisman v. YouTube, Inc., 2007cv02518. (Case docket from Justia)
(5) The New Jersey Turnpike for use of certain surveillance footage. Suit in New Jersey. Judge Katharine S. Hayden is presiding. New Jersey Turnpike Authority v. YouTube, Inc., 2:2007cv02414. (Case docket from Justia)
(6) Country music publisher Cal IV, which owns rights to the songs by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and others. Also seeking a class action, this one in Nashville. Daniel Girard is lead counsel for Cal IV. James Doran and Robb Harvey, two Nashville attorneys, represent YouTube. Judge Robert Echols is presiding. Cal IV Entertainment v. YouTube, CV-00617 (Case docket from Justia)
News: LisaNova is perhaps the biggest breakthrough to Hollywood from YouTube, having landed a starring role on MADtv on Fox. (Lonelygirl Jessica Rose is probably the only other who can compete.) In the past few weeks, LisaNova’s been embroiled in a controversy on YouTube involving generic comments she (and apparently her helpers) posted to other people’s videos. Some people didn’t like it and called it “spam” from LisaNova. Things came to a head this week when Natalie of the Community Channel criticized LisaNova in this video:
Natalie’s video prompted a parody response from LisaNova (who’s most famous on YouTube for her impersonations “doing” people):
Natalie replied with another video. And then LisaNova came out from behind her skits to talk straight into the camera, giving her version of the facts:
Analysis: To be honest, I’m not even sure what all the fuss is about.
Analysis: good movie. Al Finney, who was the good lawyer in Erin Brockovich, was tremendously convincing in his ghoulish role here. But I couldn’t believe it was him because I thought he died a few years ago. It turns out that the real lawyer, Edward Masry, died, not the actor. The actor from the “Crying Game” also has a small role, as you can see in this video:
News: The English Premier (soccer) League’s class action suit with Bourne Publisher against YouTube for alleged copyright infringement is heating up. Here are several more companies that have joined the suit against YouTube (as reported here):
1. The Rugby Football League
2. The Finnish Football League
3. National Music Publishers’ Association
4. boxing promoters Knockout Entertainment Limited (Secondsout.com) and Seminole Warriors Boxing
5. France’s top football league and its national tennis organisation (the Federation Francaise de Tennis and Ligue de Football Professionnel)
A YouTube spokesperson said: “We are disappointed with this lawsuit, as we have great partnerships with the Premier League’s own Chelsea FC, as well as major football clubs such as Barcelona FC, AC Milan, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who understand the benefit of using YouTube as another way to communicate with their fans.”
News: NYT has an excellent article discussing the growth of streaming video sites. Although you might not realize it, YouTube is a downloading video site (with the video progressively downloaded onto your computer). Streaming video, by contrast, leaves no file on your computer. Here’s a flavor:
“However, the potential of new streaming video services — fast, full screen and in sharp resolution — is unleashing a torrent of movies and television shows, much of it aimed at narrowly defined audiences that can’t find niche programming even on cable systems with 500 or more channels.
“The Independent Film Channel is streaming 22 short films called ‘Trapped in the Closet’ by the R&B recording artist R. Kelly. The Jewish Television Network, a nonprofit television production and distribution company, is streaming music videos by Jewish performers, cooking shows and Israeli news programs. * * *
“ReelTime, based in Seattle, digitally distributes thousands of movies and television shows to customers who either rent titles for 99 cents each or subscribe to the service for $4.99 a month to $19.99 for six months.”
News: She started on YouTube sweet and innocent. She ended, after only 1 season, on MySpace dead — drained of blood for a leader of a cult called The Order. Sound preposterous? Maybe it was good for the actress Jessica Rose to get out now. Here’s the video she meets her fate. (More)
Analysis: I can’t think of another show that did well after killing off its main star in the first season.
News: Today is the season finale for the hit Internet show “Lonelygirl15.” It started out on YouTube, by MySpaceTV scored a big coup in getting exclusive rights to air the season finale today. The “lonelygirl15″ creators are running 12 minisodes today, one per hour starting now. The first video is up on MySpaceTV already.
Analysis: Score a victory for MySpaceTV. Rupert Murdoch’s folks must have given the lonelygirl15 crew a sweet deal. I’m getting more impressed with MySpaceTV, a serious competitor to YouTube. The lonelygirl crew usually post their videos on several sites, so I will be interested to see if these videos eventually go on YouTube. If not, a huge loss for YouTube.
News: YouTube sensation and presidential candidate Ron Paul was featured in an article in The Economist, provocatively titled: “Paul the Apostate: Is this would-be president brave or crazy?” The article reveals that Ron Paul has more money on hand than John McCain and has increased his numbers in the polls from 1% to 3% of the Republican voters.
This week, Paul is also in the YouTube Spotlight. Here’s his video:
For the candidate who’s the most popular on YouTube, I think he needs to have his people buy a better camera, with a sharper picture.
News: The Minnesota Department of Transportation just released video of the collapse of the bridge as it happened. You can see it on the NYT blog and on YouTube. At least 4 deaths have been reported, with many more people still missing (from NPR).
UPDATE: here’s video of the bridge after the collapse.
News: Reverend Monsignor Geoff Baron, dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia, was put on leave by Archbishop Denis Hart, following Baron’s complete meltdown with teenage skateboarders on church property. The kids egged the priest on with their insults and conduct, and then the priest completely lost it, launching into a tirade filled with expletives and even racist comments against one Asian boy. (More here)
Viewer discretion advised: The video is very disturbing and filled with some bad language (not to mention behavior). The teenagers were wrong for some of the things they said and for not leaving or respecting the property. But the priest was totally out of line and should be publicly reprimanded by the Church–”indefinite leave” is meaningless unless the Church says what he did was wrong. For him to say the things he did and even make fun of the “foreigner” Asian boy’s eyes was absolutely beyond the pale.
Analysis: Fantastic. The film editing is getting pretty slick. And I finally understand what’s going on. This series is better than the karaoke crap playing now on TV.
News: As I reported earlier, video clips of Beyonce falling down stairs at her concert in Orlando last week have become very popular on YouTube. Although it appeared that YouTube removed a number of the clips for “terms of use” violation (either because Sony BMG sent a DMCA notice or because Beyonce didn’t consent to the video), YouTube seems to be allowing the clips of Beyonce now on YouTube.
Analysis: It’s hard to know what this means. It could mean that Sony BMG took away its DMCA notice or limited it to allow some of the clips. I find it hard to believe that YouTube would unilaterally make a decision to keep the clips up on its own after taking some down.
News: On Friday, Viacom and YouTube/Google had a scheduling conference in the Southern District of New York. The biggest news from the hearing was word from YouTube/Google’s lead counsel Philip S. Beck of Barlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP about the video fingerprinting technology under works. YouTube already uses AudioMagic’s audio fingerprinting technology to help identify copied audio files. YouTube is developing similar kind of technology to recognize video file fingerprinting, with anticipated deployment around September.
“Somebody who has a copyrighted video … would provide it to us and say ‘we don’t want this up on YouTube.’ We’re developing a way to take basically an electronic or video or digital fingerprint of this material so that if somebody does try to upload it, within a minute or so the computers will figure out that that’s one of the items that the copyright owner said they don’t want up on the system, and we would be able to pull that down until any issues are resolved,” Beck said. (More here)
Analysis: It will be interesting to see what the Google guys cook up. People should be realistic, though, and not expect a foolproof system that will stop all copyright infringement. The open architecture of the Internet makes that virutally impossible.
News: The backlash appears already in full force, as both Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney decided — for “scheduling” and “snowman” reasons — to skip the scheduled YouTube debate co-sponsored by the Republican party of Florida. (More from Wash Post) The debate, planned for September, has been scrapped for now, given the no-shows by the 2 leading Republicans. The blog world has been abuzz with how this will hurt their campaigns.
Analysis: My guess, and hope, is that it will all be worked out at a different time. If Giuliani and Romney don’t join, that will only look bad for them. If someone like Fred Thompson joined by then for a rescheduled debate, those two would have no choice but to be a part of the debate.
Posted by utubeblog
Posted by utubeblog
Posted by utubeblog
