OT: Google Buys YouTube

[frizfrelengfan]

I predicted some time ago that YouTube would be bought by either Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/09/technology/googleyoutube_deal/index.htm?postversion=2006100917

[Thad]

So I guess YouTube will be turned into a pay-for-use site. Not that I have much use for the sty anyway.

[Tom Stathes]

I read last week that Google offer $1.6 million for it.
At least some of their services remain free (i.e. Google Earth)

[Banned Bunny]

Thats Billion not million !

[Tom Stathes]

Ya sure? Whoops!

[Sogturtle]

I predicted some time ago that YouTube would be bought by either Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/09/technology/googleyoutube_deal/index.htm?postversion=2006100917

Frizfrelengfan~

Well I didn't mention it before (why cause panic? :p) but there was SERIOUS Wall Street speculation a couple weeks ago that Warner's was amassing a war-chest for the very reason of buying YouTube!!! :bugs2:

Now THIS deal makes Google ever more attractive to one of the titans...

[The Silver Fox]

as long as Google can stop WB from pulling anything

off like it been all summer.

[Sogturtle]

as long as Google can stop WB from pulling anything

off like it been all summer.

Silver Fox~

Analysts are now expecting such matters to continue or get worse... Read this quote (swiped from Forbes:p)... [my emphasis]

"The other problem that may be coming is the likelihood that YouTube is going to keep Google's lawyers and engineers very busy trying to keep copyrighted material off the site or fighting with copyright holders. Again, despite many promises that all of this is going to get worked out, the problems--both legal and technical--are substantial. And thus far, no one has any real answers."

Hmmmm... Before this is all over EVERYBODY may be cryin' and wishing that Warners (or similar media titan) HAD bought the silly YouTube site.;)

[trondmm]

So I guess YouTube will be turned into a pay-for-use site. Not that I have much use for the sty anyway.

I doubt it. Google's business model is not subscriptions, but advertising. Google are masters of delivering highly relevant ads to their users, and buying YouTube is just a way of getting their foot in the video advertising market. It's been suggested that Google's long term goal is to serve personalised ads for television, and doing it for online videos first is a good way of testing if the business model works.

[frizfrelengfan]

There's a whole generation of kids growing up these days who spend more time in front of a computer than a TV. (I've got one.) These kids will be spending a lot of money in the years to come. I think the Google-YouTube combination will be targeting these kids.

[The Silver Fox]

Silver Fox~

Analysts are now expecting such matters to continue or get worse... Read this quote (swiped from Forbes:p)... [my emphasis]

"The other problem that may be coming is the likelihood that YouTube is going to keep Google's lawyers and engineers very busy trying to keep copyrighted material off the site or fighting with copyright holders. Again, despite many promises that all of this is going to get worked out, the problems--both legal and technical--are substantial. And thus far, no one has any real answers."

Hmmmm... Before this is all over EVERYBODY may be cryin' and wishing that Warners (or similar media titan) HAD bought the silly YouTube site.;)
As long as they give us some leway, like letting rare clips stay on line, or cartoon that are Unavaible anyother way,
or items that are made from other means.
But if you look at it, Only WB has the Sprirt of 86 when it comes to this crap (swears at a metel band that started all this crap that we have trouble with today, with the copys). Most other studios are not minding if there just a small clip, but WB pulls anything off that remotly realted to there ownership, from fan art, fics to clips.
Even if we let know that they are the full owners of the original copyright. Most other studios consider it a complement cause it gives em free publicity for the original, but WB is the only one who won't let anything even fan based go by (this is the way its been since 97.)

[gilligan fanati]

I just hope they don't ruin it like CNet ruined TVTome

[Sogturtle]

Warner to talk to Google on YouTube rights
Fri Oct 13, 2006

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Time Warner will take continuing talks with YouTube Inc. over copyright issues to the video entertainment site's new owner Google Inc., Chairman and Chief Executive Dick Parsons said in a British newspaper interview published on Friday.

"You can assume we're in negotiations with YouTube and that those negotiations will be kicked up to the Google level in the hope that we can get to some acceptable position," Parsons told The Guardian.

Web search leader Google said on Monday it has agreed to acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.

The acquisition will give Google a foothold in the emerging market for video advertising, but it also stands to inherit court challenges from independent film makers, garage bands, television studios and others who may chafe at YouTube users uploading copyrighted material to the site without permission.

Legal experts said these artists and companies could look to YouTube's new deep-pocket backer for payment, either in business deals or courtroom battles. Parsons denied his talks with YouTube had anything to do with this week's developments, The Guardian reported.

"We were going to pursue it anyway," he said. "If you let one thing ignore your rights as an owner it makes it much more difficult to defend those rights when the next guy comes along." However, Parsons added, "We'd like to have our content displayed on these platforms, but on a basis that it respects our rights as the owner of that content." [my emphasis:)]

Google and Time Warner announced a deal at the end of last year whereby Google would invest $1 billion in Time Warner's AOL in return for a 5 percent stake in the unit and amongst other things said they would collaborate on an online video offering.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.