WRONGLY ACCUSED! VIACOM REMOVES PARODY VIDEO!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16945395/
Basically, because Viacom and YouTube couldn't reach an agreement acceptable to Viacom, it forced YouTube to remove over one hundred thousand videos that it claimed were infringing on their copyrights.
One of my videos, a blatant parody, an obvious spoof of reality televison named "The Real Happy Life World" was taken off the site, and I was sent a message from YouTube alerting me to this and informing me that Viacom is (wrongly) stating it infringes on their copyright.
Viacom is the parent company that owns the MTV cable television network, which produced a program entitled "The Real World."
Now, apparently, the mock logo and/or the use of the words "Real" and "World" were enough that Viacom and YouTube took down my video yesterday. I have written both e-mails and "snail-mail" letters to Viacom, YouTube, and the Associated Press, so far, challenging this action.
The message I receiced from YouTube concerning the removal of my video says that Viacom is claiming my video infringes on its' copyright. Being that the video is in fact a parody of, but not limited to, reality shows such as "The Real World," I am being wrongly accused of a crime by the media giant. I most certainly object to this!
The parody is available for viewing, as I posted it up on LiveVideo so that people could see there was no violation of copyright, and that this is a definite parody. My user name on that site is "TheHappyShow."
www.livevideo.com/thehappyshow
If parodies are not allowed, then there would be no "Saturday Night Live," "Mad Magazine," or even Viacom's own "South Park" and "Robot Chicken."
I have posted videos on my YouTube account taking both Viacom and YouTube to task for this matter. Protecting copyrights is one thing, but to take it to such a degree that anything that remotely has anything to do with the media giant's programs is removed, legitimate or not, is plain insanity.
This is similar in some ways to Sony's overreaction to pirating by placing Malware on its music CDs, that installed on the hard drives of innocent people who only wished to play the music on their computer. It is a case of going overboard to protect its rights, while trampling over the rights of others.
Viacom apparently doesn't expect any opposition to its' wrong-headed tactics. I do not plan to let this matter go unchallenged. If a corporation can dictate whether or not parodies can be allowed, we are in a sad shape as a society.
Matthew Hawes
www.TheHappyShow.net
Basically, because Viacom and YouTube couldn't reach an agreement acceptable to Viacom, it forced YouTube to remove over one hundred thousand videos that it claimed were infringing on their copyrights.
One of my videos, a blatant parody, an obvious spoof of reality televison named "The Real Happy Life World" was taken off the site, and I was sent a message from YouTube alerting me to this and informing me that Viacom is (wrongly) stating it infringes on their copyright.
Viacom is the parent company that owns the MTV cable television network, which produced a program entitled "The Real World."
Now, apparently, the mock logo and/or the use of the words "Real" and "World" were enough that Viacom and YouTube took down my video yesterday. I have written both e-mails and "snail-mail" letters to Viacom, YouTube, and the Associated Press, so far, challenging this action.
The message I receiced from YouTube concerning the removal of my video says that Viacom is claiming my video infringes on its' copyright. Being that the video is in fact a parody of, but not limited to, reality shows such as "The Real World," I am being wrongly accused of a crime by the media giant. I most certainly object to this!
The parody is available for viewing, as I posted it up on LiveVideo so that people could see there was no violation of copyright, and that this is a definite parody. My user name on that site is "TheHappyShow."
www.livevideo.com/thehappyshow
If parodies are not allowed, then there would be no "Saturday Night Live," "Mad Magazine," or even Viacom's own "South Park" and "Robot Chicken."
I have posted videos on my YouTube account taking both Viacom and YouTube to task for this matter. Protecting copyrights is one thing, but to take it to such a degree that anything that remotely has anything to do with the media giant's programs is removed, legitimate or not, is plain insanity.
This is similar in some ways to Sony's overreaction to pirating by placing Malware on its music CDs, that installed on the hard drives of innocent people who only wished to play the music on their computer. It is a case of going overboard to protect its rights, while trampling over the rights of others.
Viacom apparently doesn't expect any opposition to its' wrong-headed tactics. I do not plan to let this matter go unchallenged. If a corporation can dictate whether or not parodies can be allowed, we are in a sad shape as a society.
Matthew Hawes
www.TheHappyShow.net
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