Disney to sue Google?

[jurgenb52]

As most are aware Viacom has recently filed suit againse youtube's parent co. google inc. It is clear that youtube is everywhere, even here on micechat, we can add youtube videos directly into our posts.

The question that I have is this. If Viacom (which owns CBS) and now NBC Universal (NBC) and News Corp (Fox) are all suing, or wanting to sue, why is Disney (ABC) not jumping on board?

NBC Universal, News Corp, and Viacom have all announced recently that they will be hosting their own content on their websites. This was something that ABC pioneered not too long ago with its hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

Is Iger just that tech savvy and figures any Disney material on youtube is worth having on there and good PR and anything they really don't want on there they will make sure is removed? I have seen a great deal of Disney's copyrighten material on youtube and wonder what distinguishes Disney from Viacom/News Corp./NBC Universal?

[FrumiousBoojum]

Disney might just realize that free publicity is the best publicity that they can get. Are short clips of TV shows, though they are copyrighted, actually doing *any* kind of financial harm? Doubt it. If anything, clips of TV shows encourage people to tune into the full shows.

The only problems come when people start uploading full episodes, which is getting rarer and rarer all the time.

[SpokkerJones]

Originally Posted by FrumiousBoojum

If anything, clips of TV shows encourage people to tune into the full shows.

All of my friends watch all of their TV on YouTube. The shows are uploaded in parts. TV acts are usually around 8 minutes anyway. And once they are deleted they have already watched them.

Once YouTube loses everyone else's content people are going to stop looking at it except for the occasional home made accident video.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by jurgenb52

Is Iger just that tech savvy and figures any Disney material on youtube is worth having on there and good PR and anything they really don't want on there they will make sure is removed?

Given the Disney history of rabid protection of intellectual property I doubt this is a "savvy" move. I'd guess that either:

A) They are just taking longer to get their case together

B) They are saving some legal $$ by letting other media companies do the dirty work

C) They are in fact clueless and don't really know what's going on yet.

[Disney Wrassler]

I agree with Frum., Disney's getting free publicity and is probably using YouTube to see what their audiences want. I could be wrong though .

[FrumiousBoojum]

Could Disney be in discussion for some sort of partnership? Suing wouldn't be a good way to go about strengthening a partnership.

[jurgenb52]

Originally Posted by FrumiousBoojum

Could Disney be in discussion for some sort of partnership? Suing wouldn't be a good way to go about strengthening a partnership.

A Disney/Google(youtube) partnership would be an interesting endeavor. Not entirely sure how that would work in contrast to some of the other network tv groups youtube has already done.

Seems possible that option "B" makes the most sense. Disney can't be clueless to this issue, so thats out and I suppose option "A" could be somewhat tied in with "B". Either way only the future will show us the answer.

[philip]

No apparent need to sue Google.

Other media companies such as Viacom/NBC distribute TV programs mostly through television channels, and consumers can only watch them on google if they miss a show on TV.

Unlike other media companies, Disney distributed millions of copies of movies and TV shows through iTunes. Downloading TV programs from iTune has several advantages: 1. It's higher quality. 2. iPod is portable, so you can take it with you and watch it on the bus (vs. watching it on laptop or desktop computer if you choose to watch on youtube.). 3. You can actually save it in your iPod. Because of the apparent advantages associated with iPod, consumers will be willing to pay just a small fee to download the show from iTune instead of watching it on youtube.

So the threat from youtube is minimal. Unless the number of downloads from iTunes tanked, I don't think Disney need to overreact and sue google/youtube. In fact, let Viacom sues google, and Viacom eventually will win due to apparent copyright laws, and youtube will not be allowed to show "any" copyrighted material on youtube (including Disney's), so Disney will benefit from the lawsuit without actually taking part in it.

[cellarhound]

I personally wouldn't bother trying to sue YouTube...

You know what I would do?

I would approach google to say this is how we would like our content displayed with a clear clean feed... then liscense it so you both make a profit... problem solved.

The other folks think the best way to fight piracy is through litigation are barking up the wrong tree... You don't really want to mess with Google when they are the number 1 search engine, and more and more of your content will be digital...

They are being to quote a friend of mine: "stoopid."

[jurgenb52]

Originally Posted by cellarhound

They are being to quote a friend of mine: "stoopid."

That makes a lot of sense. I heard a really interesting interview with Bob Iger on NPR yesterday. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/s...200703274.html

It sounds very much like he is very in touch with how to proceed in the digital age. He doesn't want what happened with music, ala Napster, to happen with tv and film, and has since been leading the charge via itunes and abc.com to get content available for cheap and sometimes free.

Through all of your input and some further research I think I've begun to answer my own question. No, Disney won't sue Google, Iger is too smart for that.

[AstroBlaster]

I agree that Disney is using the wait and see approach why contibute legal resources when all it has to do is sit and wait. It's a case that YouTube knows it will lose.