Youtube… There are no rules?

Video sharing has become a phenomenon in today’s contemporary society. YouTube is the largest video sharing site on the web today. You can search for video clips, tutorials, funny clips and so much more. There is a common belief that users have freedom to express themselves creatively… but do they really? When posting a video to YouTube you agree to the terms and conditions of the site. Copyright is an important factor to take into account when producing or reproducing already existent works. If YouTube finds you have reproduced works that are protected by copyright from the original artist it will be blocked. You run the risk of having strikes against your account and potentially having it terminated. What do you do to avoid these risks? The answer is simple… be original. Well this is the answer YouTube gives. This is easier said than done. Sometimes reproducing a major artist’s work by making a ‘cover’ is a great way to draw audiences in because they know the song. Are these up and coming artists meaning any harm? If they are it’s because record labels and artists have copyrighted the work and don’t like having reproductions on YouTube. It seems unfair to the artists wanting to put new twists on old songs but all artists, to some extent, want their work to remain their work. Nobody likes others taking credit for their original ideas.

Regardless YouTube still acts as a gateway for artists to promote their work, their original work. As detailed by YouTube, “[the site] allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.” The key point within this is the distribution of original content. So ultimately anybody can produce and upload content as long as it does not infringe upon any other artist’s content. YouTube has the power to delete videos instantly if found to possess infringing content. Copyright is taken very seriously. It could be said that having copyright further promotes the production of original works. YouTube is a medium which works to promote individuals’ work and share these works internationally so all may enjoy. 

All information came from http://www.youtube.com/t/copyright_center