Is YouTube Poised To Become SueTube?

According to PC PRO MAGAZINE, TIME-WARNER CEO DICK PARSONS is threatening to sue YOUTUBE for breach of copyright. PARSONS told UK Newspaper THE GUARDIAN, "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." The threat follows similar warnings from NEWS CORP.

The feeling is that although YOUTUBE had plenty of traffic before, in financial terms it was not worth suing. With GOOGLE to bankroll the site, the situation has clearly changed and companies are now queuing up to get their piece of the YOUTUBE sale process.

However, PARSONS denies that the GOOGLE acquisition of YOUTUBE had prompted his comments. "We were going to pursue it anyway. 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." 

Reportedly what he has in mind is the kind of deal YOUTUBE signed with SONY BMG, CBS TELEVISION and UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP where the media majors are given some kind of royalty for their copyright material appearing on YOUTUBE along with software able to detect and remove unauthorised posting of that material.

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