As an emerging SEO, I can't help but to view this platform from a marketing perspective. This website serves user generated content to millions of people daily. Everyday, normal people upload creative (or useless) videos and watch while people from all over the world leave feedback on their creations. YouTube has become a free avenue to digitally immortalize the funniest, cutest, and dumbest people society has to offer.
I was reminded about this tonight while eating dinner. My brother and I were arguing about something food related and I was reminded of one of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits. It is a short about Adam Samberg punching people right before they eat. Vulgar and rudimentary? Yes. However, hilarious nonetheless.
After dinner I went on YouTube to watch the skit. Upon searching for it, I was shown a pageful of amateur reenactments. Disappointed, I went to another video website to find the gem. I quickly found it, showed it to my family, and laughed. Looking back on not finding it on YouTube, I concluded that it must have been removed due to copyright violations.
I contemplated uploading the copyrighted video to YouTube and being the sole contributor of one of SNL's best skits to the website's community. In the user generated content world, it is not uncommon for success to be measured in pageviews rather than profits. I find a certain joy in posting or submitting something that is seen by hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of people. Even without receiving any tangible rewards, the knowledge that something I contributed positively affected many people's day is a goal to strive for.
I acquired a copy of the video and logged into YouTube to upload it. I paused upon seeing the copyright notice and started thinking there is a reason this popular video is not on YouTube. I pondered for a second, decided I left enough commercial content in the video (Hulu anyone?), and said "Oh, what's the worst that could happen?" I hit the upload button and waited.
About five minutes later I received an e-mail from YouTube on behalf of NBC.
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When I receive E-mail, I get notified and have the chance to read part of the message
Oh.... that's the worst thing that can happen. Fizzle... Suddenly it dawned on me that YouTube is owned by Google. Not only does Google have access to my primary address, but it also stores my credit card number, bank account number (Adsense), data on my finances, and information about where I work.
Sarah..... the internet is trying to send me to jail again...
Cautiously I logged into my Gmail account and clicked on the e-mail from YouTube/NBC.
Dear YouTube Member:I continued reading, looking for some kind of loophole.
NBC Universal has claimed some or all visual content in your video SNL People Getting Punched Just Before Eating. This claim was made as part of the YouTube Content Identification program.
Your video is still live because NBC Universal has authorized the use of this content on YouTube. As long as NBC Universal has a claim on your video, they will receive public statistics about your video, such as number of views. Viewers may also see advertising on your video's page. [You also can't embed the video on other websites.]Well, I didn't see that coming. NBC was going to let me keep the video online without any repercussions. In return for me posting the company's copyrighted content, all it wanted was access to publicly available viewing statistics of the video and the chance to advertise with its own content.
Claim Details:
Copyright owner:
NBC Universal
Content claimed:
Some or all of the visual content
Policy:
Allow this content to remain on YouTube.
Send public statistics about this video to NBC Universal.
Applies to these locations:
Everywhere
It appears that NBC finally understands the power of online marketing. All I wanted to do was share my favorite content with friends, family, and about a half billion of my closest internet acquaintances. The studio executives understand this and finally have matured to the point where they are willing to let me and other internet users promote NBC content.
I am thrilled to see old media working with new media in such a progressive way. I understand that NBC is really scheming to make money off of my promotional efforts. However, it has started to work with me as opposed to continuing to fight me. When I TiVo TV shows or download music, it is not because I want to strip TV writers or musicians from profits. I just want to enjoy the content in a way that is convenient for me. I am sorry to see hard working employees of the music, film, and television industry lose their jobs but I don't feel bad for the industries as a whole. Just as light bulbs replaced candles as the primary indoor light source, the modern media industries are being replaced by newer technologies. Industrial evolution is a fact of business that's inevitable.
It is refreshing to see NBC working with new technologies to find solutions rather then acting like its counterpart, the RIAA, and fighting change. Well done, NBC, I am glad that I could be part of your initial steps in the right direction.
Here's what an average Googler is going to hear:
"Words words words words words words YouTube/Google correctly identified a freeform video clip in five minutes using advanced technology to determine that a copyright owner had claimed that content words words words words words words."
And I think that's going to make the average Googler very happy. I do applaud NBC Universal for being so forward-thinking on this clip though.
LOL - I can just imagine looking at the google cached version of this page and seeing that :-)
I agree - I only wish others would see it in the same way - copyright content is no longer manageable do to the explosion, the more companies start thinking like NBC, the more fun the internets going to become...
Next week's Legal Monday, Keeping the Intern Out of Jail: A Losing Battle
;)
Another awesome post Danny! You're on Fire!
That's fascinating to see - I hope more publishers and networks get on board with this kind of thing.
It reminds me of the time I was looking for a family guy clip (the one with the radio show "dingo and the baby") and was amazed to see that I couldn't watch the cilp on youtube - undeterred I turned to google and hey presto 5 mins later I'd found a site where I could stream whole episodes of family guy for free.
If the clip had been available on youtube I'd never have found the site.
I appreciate that these networks want to keep control over their copyrighted material but the internet is a wild and amazing place and you can always find what you're looking for (eventually). They might as wall have some control over what you find...
Take heed from people like the daily show and southpark and embrace the internet - don't hide in your shell and try and ignore it!
Danny thats :
1. An awesomely well sritten post - funny, informative and inspiring
2. A very risky and cheeky thing you did :)
As for streaming - TV media needs to find effective ways of monetising their content - you can find any show almost as easily as typing in "watch xyz online".
People are watching them daily, and will continue to do so. If the networks created official versions an monetised them on site (maybe with 10 sec ads or something) most people would shift to watching them on the official network sites hwere the quality etc is great, no dodgy subtitles etc.
Joost is a great idea, but too cumbersome - I rather just watch online without launching a brand new application (even VEOH fails here).
ABC.com does it well, and BBC too, but only keeps the content up for short periods of time (7 days I think) - which still isnt convinient.
Great Points,
I just wanted to add that ABC has the entire series of LOST available for streaming in SD and HD and at no cost. They simply add a few 20 second ads so they can make some money. I think it is a great system and I have used it a few times this season to catch up. Unlike the music industry, I think the TV industry is really starting to "get it" and take advantage of the internet.
Danny - first off - nice post. Very insightful. I enjoy experiential articles.
While I suspect that the comment above was made somewhat tongue in cheek, I thought I would point out that converse to what you've suggested, YouTube is also single handedly responsible for causing an irreversible increase in worldwide productivity.
Just like any media outlet, it is an avenue for learning, teaching, promoting business and generally improving people's lives.
Yes, there is a significant element of non-productive goofball type content, but even then, if you subscribe to the saying "laughter is the best medicine", then perhaps YouTube is also single-handedly responsible for an irrerversible increase in human wellness. ;)
On a final note, I think many people would be surprised to see just how savvy "old media" really is. These companies aren't just sitting there fighting the trends. Rather, in many caes, they make careful and thoughtful observations and wait until things are "solid" before making any serious changes. In other words - they are pragmatic - which is a good thing.
One of the reasons Warren "The Oracle of Omaha" Buffett is such a successful investor is because he refuses to simply jump in on fads. The first dotcom go round, he was castigated for not jumping into the "new economy" companies, yet he was the one with the last laugh when most of them busted.
I think we will increasingly see a convergence of "old and new media" in a timeframe that early adopters will find overly cautious and wise investors will find appropriate.
I see Sean had decided to stick to his promise. Cant you add a couple of jokes and jabs in there buddy?
I like your comment about the lightbulbs replacing candles; I'm sure plenty of chandlers were up in arms about the dangers of electric light. You can't fight progress; it's better to see it coming and ride the wave. Apparently there was widespread protest when the Romans built the aqueduct, as people feared it would create mass unemployment. If only we could learn from the past somehow...
Thinking about this from a monitoring perspective, I'm interested in how they spotted so quickly - are they monitoring by name of video, or what?
Oh, and I loved this line:
I'm pretty sure they have some very sophisticated software that IDs the content from voice, images or so on...
I think you're right...
Holy cow! Seriously? That's awesome. I want some.
Sorry to go off topic here for a minute....
Tom_C and Willcritchlow - are you guys twins?
Nope - we're brothers but not twins.
Will is 4 years older than me.
And waaaay better looking.
Been drinking again Will?
Sorry that was mean - you're both equally geek-chic-tastic
You and Tom and your slanty profile pictures. At least people can see me properly.
A great post - very thought provoking.
I think more people need to wake up to the new models for monetising online media. Media needs to make money otherwise all that will be left are clips of Joe Public making an ass of themselves, which can be entertaining for a while but it doesn't take long before you need some well written, well produced content to sit back and enjoy.
I hope more and more studios and networks find ways to make their content more accessible whilst making enough money to invest in high quality talent.
I wonder if the music industry would ever "evolve" into this type of a set up for file sharing with some form of advertising at the beginning of the song. I remember in college swapping song (don't judge me, you probably did it to) and some files came with an AOL preamble that was pretty aggrevating.
But this is a great way to see a big time network FINALLY take a small step towards embracing the information revolution - if only about 8 or 10 years too late.
Better late than never. I wouldn't expect the music business as we know it to adopt a similar approach, though folks like LiveNation or the up-and-coming players might. The problem is that the traditional music industry believes they're in the business of selling CD's, not music. Until they recognize their product as an abstract stream of bits and not the physical medium, they'll continue to miss the boat.
Television networks - and to a lesser degree film studios - have had less invested in the physical medium and more in the intellectual property since their origins. Their approach reflects that.
The key takeaway for SEO's is looking at what business you are in. Do you offer a service, a product or something else altogether? What would be worth suing for and how can you ensure your value to customers remains true, regardless of changes in the underlying technologies.
Excellent and thought-provoking post, Danny. Keep up the great work.
NBC let you keep the video online because they get benefits from it. It's like making an advertisement for free.
Nice post Danny. The only disappointing thing for me is that they won't let you embed it. It's the same as record companies who post their videos on YT but won't let others embed them on other sites.
I can only assume that they're worried about others making money off of the back of the content, but surely in return for promoting it, that's a small (non-existent) price to play.
It's like they're learning how to understand a foreign language, but not how to speak it.
May I just say - probably the best post title I have read all year!
Good job! One of the people over here had been on a TV show and had eagerly uploaded the footage to YouTube...only to get banned. It's great to see that not only did they not removed it but that they allowed you to keep it up with those conditions. It does show that they are working together in collaboration with users thus enabling it to benefit everyone. Great post!
Good lord, what about this post deserved a thumb-down?
Excellent post danny, it's great to see NBC taking a positive stance toward social media. I've always been of the mindset that "I don't mind company's showing me ads, as long as I get to enjoy the product still' .
Wow - not what I expected to read! I thought this was another rant about big media not 'getting it.' Very refreshing!
I wonder if this would have still been the case if you had used the footage in a mashup/edited video of sorts? Are they frowning upon that?
Laura
Can't tell you for sure but when I was originally looking for this video I did find a few take off that used the original audio. There where no ads or comments to signify it was under copyright so all I can do is assume it was given the same treatment as me.
Nice post! I think this could be further evidence NBC is innovating in order to take their programming to another level i.e. the 21st century. NPR recently had coverage that NBC is changing their scheduling approach to break with the traditional September-May cycle. They are going to develop shows to run through the summer and of course bring in more reality shows (gag) in order to cut costs. Regardless of the actual programs that come out of this, I think it shows they are trying to be creative in how they approach their audience. This is highlighted by your post. They are clearly starting to understand the population is consuming media and their shows in new ways and copywrights are no longer infallible. And again, it is free PR for NBC and great shows like SNL when people like you write about them. It is a win, win. Thanks again for the post!
Why not go to NBC.com first and see if they actually offer it? Which they do: https://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=166786
And maybe you can even embed it on your blog? Which you can:
<embed allowNetworking="all" allowScriptAccess="always" src="https://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4806f2105f5fbd80" width="384" height="283" quality="high" wmode="transparent" id="W4806f2105f5fbd80" pluginspage="https://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed>
I agree that most old media is really catching on to the new shift.
Some of my more blue chip brand clients, are really getting that once you create great content for the web, you should set it free on the web and let it live out it's own life span, not the time span dictated from the campaign creative brief.
"If you love your content set it free, if traffic returns you know the love was true"
I think I'm going to go hug my copywriters now...
OK so they let Danny post this clip. What is the process for other copyrighted material? Can I create a YT account and post all my fav SNL clips and hope for the same deal with NBC?
Not if I beat you to it... muahahah. Seriously though, I think anyone can do what I did. Try it and let me know what happens.
Naah. Working on to mnay other projects Danny. I am happy to see that we all can at least upload copyrighted content with a chance to keep it online.