Blog News Watch

So far MySpace didn’t had any big legal trouble, they just faced minor legal setbacks that’s all. But now MySpace is in real trouble, as Worlds largest music group, Universal Music Group suing them for uploading copyrighted music content.  So far MySpace was watching and enjoying Google’s YouTube trouble, well the show is over baby! now you are in the show.

According to UMG the News Corp.-owned social networking website has participated in copyright infringement by formatting videos in a way that lets members play and redistribute the content. They filed the suit on Friday in California. The one MySpace proud of “User generated Content”, UMG called it “User Stolen” content. According to the article of CBC news:

“The foundation of MySpace is its so-called ‘user-generated content,’ ” says UMG’s statement of claim filed in the Central District of California, Western Division court. “However, much of that content is not ‘user-generated’ at all. Rather, it is the ‘user-stolen’ intellectual property of others, and MySpace is a willing partner in that theft.”

This isn’t the first time a social networking, or user content sharing got into law suit. YouTube go sued so many times. In fact now “Social Networking Sites” are more of a synonym of “Legal practice sites”. In my sense as web 2.0 world is beginning to expand and User-generated contents are getting more attention/focus, the non web based content selling businesses (ex- music, newspapers etc. ) are getting upset. These rain of lawsuits against almost every large social networking sites are giving me this thought. I am not saying that in social networking sites there are no copyright violations, there are a lot (maybe 30% to 40%), but looks like 60% original contents are not the one getting attention. This never ending battle between web 2.0 world and mainstream is not going anywhere, just making those lawyers rich.

Its about time the biggest heads of Web 2.0’s start to brain storm how to stop content stealing. Maybe MySpace will getaway with some green, but ultimately if Social networking sites (Not Only MySpace) can not  provide protection against copyright violation, Social networking will lost trust. I don’t understand most of these social networking sites have enough funds to buy or research on digital signature of contents. There are alternatives too, like if its music video, getting scan copy of pictures of person appeared in video(if the creator and singer is same)  authorization letter (if the person uploading is not the same person in video). No celebrity video should be allowed to be uploaded, social networking sites can hire a bunch of moderators for that. I know these things will reduce the super flow of contributions, but indeed will preserve the rights of owner and quality web 2.0 provide. There are many other ways social networking sites can prevent, or at least minimize copyright violations, why not spend a portion of their huge earning into this research and implementation. Social Networking will be a history if we ca not protect rights of contents. Why people crowded in social networking? since its credible(well a lot more then mainstream, since corporatism is minimal), democratic  and fast. So if SN looses credibility, what difference it will have then mainstream?

MySpace, Copyright, UMG, Universal Music Group, Stealing Content, 451 Chit-chat