Reports are showing up online that Google is in negotiations with YouTube.com to buy them out for $1.6 Billion dollars. It makes you wish you where the owners and workers for that company as it seems their 60 or so employees may just become the next 60 millionaires. I am jealous, but that is not why I hope this deal falls apart.
I hope this deal falls apart simply because once Google becomes the parent company of YouTube.com, all the money hungry copyright defenders, especially the music industry, will immediately file lawsuits to remove a large portion of YouTube's video collection. Since nearly anything could be interpreted as owned by someone for copyright purposes, this means probably up to 80% of the videos currently available on the site will no longer be. It wouldn't be Google's fault, it will be the fault of the large media companies that can't seem to understand that YouTube is a way to get their material around to those that are not aware of it.
Whether people are watching a cartoon, a news bit, listening to music, whatever, that means someone who didn't know it existed now does. That is a potential consumer discovery their stuff and maybe buying. However, rather then tap that hunger and legion of viewers, they choose to fight them tooth and nail. In the sharing of ideas, YouTube unintentionally is at the forefront and ownership by Google will end that.
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