Why deleting 30,000 youtube videos was wrong.
The recent request by Japan’s version of the RIAA asking the now google owned youtube to delete almost 30,000 videos raises some quite interesting intellectual property issues. Inherent in the request is, I would argue, an outdated business model and the problems that such a business model meets when it comes into contact with a new business model (call it internet 2.0 if you like, or whatever you wish).
Basically the problem lies in the The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC)’s attempt to control intellectual property in an age where it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Deleting 30,000 videos this month doesn’t mean that they wont have to do the same thing next month - what it means is that they will have to do the same thing next month.
Organisations such as JASRAC see services such as youtube as a threat. This is a result of their not owning the process - a problem which makes management of distribution almost impossible. So a move requesting the deletion of those files is quite understandable from their point of view as it allows them to regain control of the process and the distribution model.
Instead I would suggest that they run in entirely the opposite direction. youtube offers to a marketer an exceedingly valuable tool in terms of market research. The demographic that youtube caters to - predominately teens and young people in their twenties is precisely demographic mostly likely to be interested in Japanese popular culture such as anime and J-Pop. It is also the market segment most likely to purchase DVDs and music online.
JASRAC needs to work with the music industry in Japan to leverage this market. For most westerners sourcing new material from the Japanese market is an extremely difficult task as a result of the language barrier. Tools such as youtube offer non-Japanese speaking customers the power to browse available works and to make purchasing decisions based upon what they have discovered.
Ten minute videos are fine, but if people want to watch a show they are still more likely to want to be able to watch the whole package without interruption. JASRAC needs to run with this.
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