The Many Downsides of YouTube

By Matthew Clayton

Ever since its inception in late 2005, the video site Youtube.com has exploded into a worldwide juggernaut for user-posted videos. At Youtube, anyone can become a celebrity with just a personal computer, video camera or cell phone. But with the windows of opportunity it opens, inevitably unwarranted factors creep in.

The biggest snag is copyright violation. Some users post up video clips from movies and TV shows without the consent of the copyright holder, which can lead to some nasty disputes. Last year, Viacom filed a copyright lawsuit against the Google-owned company for aiding Internet users that post up clips of Viacom’s copyrighted TV shows and movies. Some movie companies like Lionsgate and MGM circumvent that with agreements with Youtube to officially host video clips and even full-length movies and TV shows on the site. The Weinstein Company got into the act by posting up the movie “I’m Not There” to generate possible Oscar buzz for its lead actress Cate Blanchett. Like other Youtube videos, the company-posted videos will be free but feature advertising, which the studios receive ad revenue.

Another big hurdle is tastefulness and potentially harmful the videos can be to the user posting them or someone the user knows. One man in Australia was fired and had his forklift license revoked when a video of himself surfaced on Youtube popping wheelies and performing other stunts on a work forklift. In Toledo, Ohio, three men face criminal charges after posting videos of themselves impersonating police officers and playing pranks on unsuspecting civilians.

Constitutional freedoms also surface whenever comments are posted about videos, and if a line is involved with free speech and potentially damaging speech. One particular incident occurred in New Hampshire, where inflammatory remarks were posted about two town councilors when clips of a town meeting were posted on Youtube, which could lead to possible criminal charges brought against the user who posted the “extremely hateful” remarks. Some companies manage to circumvent the problems.

The U.S. military put a ban on Youtube and other video-sharing sites for a year until they came up with their own video site, TroopTube with Delve Networks. The site enables military members, their family members, supporters, and civilian Defense Department employees to register as users. TroopTube is structured similarly to Youtube where users can upload videos from anywhere with internet access, but the catch is that a Pentagon employee screens each video for taste, possible copyright violation and national security issues before the video is allowed on the site.

With a site like Youtube, its uses are like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can prove incredibly useful and fun if used right. However, if used improperly, it can lead to all sorts of trouble. So if you’re thinking about posting up a video of yourself that could get you fired (or worse), or think about posting up a music video using copyrighted material, think again. It could cost you your job or even more.

Filed Under: News