August 28, 2008
Don’t Pull That Pirated Video
Imagine that you’re a network executive. 30 million people are trying to watch a clip of your hit show on YouTube. Your knee-jerk reaction one year ago? Have legal send YouTube a cease and desist. But times appear to be changing. Google’s Video ID partners (a self selecting crew, no doubt) are reportedly deciding to monetize their pirated content 90% of the time by sharing in the ad revenue with Google. This seems like a no-brainer decision when you step back and look at it, but the path to this point was probably long and tumultous. This is a monetary win for Google and content owners, and a major experience boost for the average viewer who just wants to see that video everyone has been talking about.