YouTube blocks music videos in Germany too
YouTube has pulled the plug on music videos in Germany as Western Europe starts to look like a hostile environment for Web music services. A YouTube spokesman confirmed that YouTube is no longer playing music videos belonging to the largest music labels after talks with Germany’s biggest royalty collections group, GEMA, broke down. The conflict is almost identical to YouTube’s spat with a royalty group in the United Kingdom, but with one important twist. According to YouTube, GEMA is asking for royalty rates that are 50 times higher than those asked for by PRS, the British organization, and YouTube argues those are even too high. According to sources close to the negotiations, GEMA is asking for rates far higher than what the group asked for in the original agreement.
A GEMA representative could not be reached for comment. But it should be noted that the music industry has often offered favorable financial terms to start-up Web services in initial licensing agreements. Music executives have told me in recent months that once the companies begin to generate revenue and gain a foothold, they should expect to pay more. Talks are ongoing but until a deal is worked out, it’s unlikely German YouTube fans will be seeing any music clips. At least in Great Britain, YouTube can make the claim to record labels that the site promotes music sales. The BBC recently reported on a survey that asked more than 1,500 Brits about viewing habits. About half of the adults who participated said they purchased music after watching a YouTube video by an artist.
Source: Cnet
Comments(25)
I Only Used It For Music Really So I Have No Reason To Use It Now Well Done Google/Youtube Just Lost Urself A User
I believe its time we move on from The Tube to a new site to "broadcast ourself",…
Its going waaaaaay too far with all the censoring recently.
Oh we in the west are so "free" …….
please bare in mind that its not youtube who doesnt whant germans to see music videos. This is not a youtube issue, its a copyright issue. The Gema and their obsurd demands (not only towards youtube btw) are the result of years and years of overpowering copyright holders.
The GEMA is asking for 15 cents PER VIEW of a music video.
They offered a lower fee of 2 cents I think, but for that google\youtube would have to share customer data with them, which google refused.
btw, Gema just recently announced they will be raising fees for live music. This will in turn mean that concert organizers will have to pay up to 10% of their earnings to the Gema.
They are killing music (all in the name of the musicians of course…)!! Its just sad…
Little did they know they are chasing away their own potential customers
Damn right we are. The rest of the world playing up itself while putting down the big US on whole range of issues and rights but when it comes down to it we are just as smart just as enlightened then they are in most cases and in a lot of cases more so. All the first world countries at the G20 is there a single black leader? Thats a small thing but these people are just whining babies, we are a great country and even more so when you think how much power we do have that we havnt abused it. George Bush made that nasty play in Iraq but we did take out a massively bad ruler there. Wasnt worth the cost in lives and cash but it was a good thing.
@4 The GEMA asks for 1 cent per video.
Also the other GEMA partners such as clipfish and myvideo, which are the biggest German video sites, are already paying up.. so why can't youtube?
#7: its like #4 said. It seems GEMA offered following conditions:
- provide user data and pay 2cents per view OR
- pay 12cents
Since G/Youtube refused to give out YOUR user data and is not willing to pay those 12cents, they simply deleted those videos for Germany.
long life rlslog !!!
I guess they will burn down the Reichstag building again pretty soon.
What youtube needs to do is stop all these massive corporations from using the site for nothing but publicity… Youtube is not for massive companies to use to make some more money.
Youtube is a site that relies on the contributions of normal people inorder for it to run. They are heading in the wrong direction and have been for a long time. They just need to tell these massive corporations to GTFO of the tube and find somewhere else to peddle their wears.
All that money wanna eating will only hurt them. They make the fan look stupid.
Seriously … have them any clue how the world is working and how the business models should be !?
And this would be based upon your own business models that have made you huge amount of profits and how you observe the world working at 7-11 ?
And yes, the fan is stupid, it just goes round and round when you turn it on.
Who the feck watches music videos? I don't! I LISTEN to music! So pisss off you fecking wankers from GEMA or whatever your fecking name is!!!
one word for you:
proxy
problem solved
you not ned any more youtube soon
http://canfindonline.com
damn greedy germans
so block youtube forever in Turkey…
If they keep blocking countries, they will end up blocking themselves out of cyberspace entirely. As it is, they have stupid policies on policing themselves. They have been know to take down videos of people's young children just lip syncing to songs, claiming they are violating the band's copyright.
YouTube is not the only place in cyberspace to post videos. There are many others now. We no longer need YouTube at all.
No music videos on MTV or VH1 that would put your music in front of people?
check
Same ten songs on the radio all day long…. your stuff isn't being heard.
check
Block someone from going home and watching a music video that they want to see, then maybe going and actually buying the f*cking thing
Brilliant
free advertising isn't good enough for them lol
All the first world countries at the G20 is there a single black leader?
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this makes me figure, either america counts as second world country or obama is … white? O.O wau
=========
how much power we do have that we havnt abused it.
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yeah, sure. let me remember … monsanto, acta, wtc, the disguise of war on terrorism, trying to get hold on every little database somewhere on this planet for 'national security', that thing with the rocket shield in eu, what was that again with south america in the last century?, and what about that cia-things going on in eu … i'm sure i'd know more if i'd think harder. but, yes, no, you never abused any power.
videos of people's young children just lip syncing to songs
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i bet, that's not about the bleeding (c), i'm kinda wondering why they didn't argue with child pron … would work much better als line of arguement.
and@ heil gema: hopefully the ppl themselves tear that building down before this 'company' will get the idea of doing so.
I DON'T PAY FOR MUSIC AFTER I USE YOUTUBE. IF I GO TO YOUTUBE IS BECAUSE ITS FREE!!
I for example have started buying MORE music thanks to youtube since web-recordstores usually only have 1-3 min clips of the tracks. I need to listen to the "product" im going to purchase, so YT has been a big helper here. And i know there are lots of others like me.
Sad the record companies dont see opportunities here. They should maybe demand the user to but a link of a webstore in uploaded songs infopage.
These greedy bastards will end up stabbing themselves eventually.
Shot themselves in the foot a little with this one.
I don't 'listen' to music on youtube as the audio is a bit crappy. I do however send youtube links to people of bands I like who then often go on to buy the music.
Why not be happy with the free advertising rather than try to sue them for imaginary money.