Dr. Neil Hair

Just when you think the industry of stupid have learned their lesson and are beginning to pursue alternative revenue models you get another industry equally stupid threatening legal action against YourTube for posting short snippets or my least favourite activity – football (soccer to you Americans). First salvo, Microdaft and its training videos last month, second salvo, the Japanese media companies on Friday incensed by the posting of 29,549 clips (some poor sod in Japan had to count them Im sure), third salvo – the foolish FA in the UK complaining about companies posting clips of goals online. Where and when will this madness end? When YouTube has four video's left? (My wife singing happy birthday, my playing with my cat, my saying hi to Alums, and my rather infectious rendition of Erasures 'A Little Respect'). The only real result of this will be upset consumers who are incensed by big business who aren't clever enough to realize the benefits of this new channel and the access it gives specialist groups who hold niche interests. People are not going to rush out and buy the latest dvd of this seasons goals. People are not going to forgo matches because they can watch key highlights on YouTube. Surely this sort of coverage has a VERY limited life span. Giving YouTube access to it prolongs its life. This can only be a good thing for everyone involved right? If nothing else the media companies benefit from the brand logos we're subjected to in the top or bottom corners of our screens. Wake up people, you're missing the whole point of Web 2.0 business models.