Sony Music Claiming Beyonce's Official YouTube Channel Violates Copyright?

from the left-hand,-right-hand? dept

It really is incredible how screwed up some things are at the major record labels. The latest, via David Johnson, is that it appears (at least as of this writing) that Beyonce's official YouTube channel is blocked in the US due to a copyright infringement issue. I have no idea about if it's blocked elsewhere, but perhaps readers from other countries can let us know. In case they get this sorted out, here's a screenshot:
We saw this happen a while back when YouTube and Warner Music had a dispute about a deal, but I was pretty sure that YouTube and Sony Music had a deal in place. Either way, there seems to be some sort of confusion going on.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: beyonce, copyright, takedown, youtube
Companies: google, sony music, youtube


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    RD, 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:50am

    Erm...fail

    Uh...yeah....erm...COPYRIGHT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ALLOWING A VIDEO TO BE DISPLAYED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!!

    I REALLY wish the music industry would STOP with this artificial restriction crap, then turning around and claiming its some kind of violation of RIGHTS (bullshit, its a CONTRACT issue at best, and only in certain cases anyway).

    If you own the copyright, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH IT. Isnt that the ENTIRE FUCKING POINT of all this "sue everyone" crap, because they are claiming that copyright gives them ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO ANY AND ALL FORMS of their material? Now suddenly there is a limit? Can you say talking out of both sides of your mouth?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DH's love child, 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:56am

      Re: Erm...fail

      Copyright has everything to do with that actually. If Sony doesn't own the copyright in Botswana, they can't stop the video from being displayed there. Copyrights are country specific.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DJ, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:52pm

      Re: Erm...fail

      Uh...yeah...erm...what's legal in one country isn't necessarily legal in another.
      Also, one country's copyright laws don't necessarily have anything to do with another's; some countries don't even HAVE copyright laws.

      So...how about file your own post under "Missing the Mark fail"

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Someone, 26 Mar 2010 @ 1:13pm

      Re: Erm...fail

      The studio owns rights to the songs if you selected them as your publisher...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:55am

    beyonce is always a bad exmaple because she doesnt write many of her own songs. so the rights issue may have to do with song writers or other rights owners. she doesnt write or perform her own music so she is licensing it from others.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike Masnick (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:58am

      Re:

      beyonce is always a bad exmaple because she doesnt write many of her own songs. so the rights issue may have to do with song writers or other rights owners.

      Wait, you're actually now suggesting Sony failed to properly clear the rights for Beyonce's songs? That would be an even bigger story.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:59am

    In Canada, I cannot watch the "Single Ladies" video on her official channel but can watch the Vevo version, through a YouTube search.

    That's not confusing at all.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Marcos, 26 Mar 2010 @ 11:59am

    Here in Brazil
    "Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is not playing "This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment, which has locked in their country on the basis of copyright."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    RD, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:00pm

    Could be

    "beyonce is always a bad exmaple because she doesnt write many of her own songs. so the rights issue may have to do with song writers or other rights owners. she doesnt write or perform her own music so she is licensing it from others."

    Right but thats a LISCENSING (ie contract) issue, not copyright.

    "Copyright has everything to do with that actually. If Sony doesn't own the copyright in Botswana, they can't stop the video from being displayed there. Copyrights are country specific."

    This is true. However, in a case like this (and knowing how restrictive these Big Media companies like to be) I'm betting that isnt the issue at hand. I'm betting dollars to doughnuts its SOLELY "We dont want to ALLOW this song/video in your country in this way, so we are going to claim a COPYRIGHT PROBLEM" where none actually exists. I would like more info to see which side this issue is on.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DJ, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:55pm

      Re: Could be

      While I wouldn't go so far as to put anything on it (pun), I wouldn't be surprised to find that is the case.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 26 Mar 2010 @ 2:35pm

      Re: Could be

      RD spouted:

      Right but thats a LISCENSING (ie contract) issue, not copyright.

      Licensing of what, if not copyright?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    HOS, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:09pm

    Access OK in UK

    Video Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) not blocked in UK

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    crade (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:10pm

    I would say it is much more likely that it is blocked everywhere and "in your country" is just a lie. Can anyone confirm that it is not blocked anywhere at all?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    crade (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:10pm

    @HOS - Ha! Beat me to the post :)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    vadim (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:17pm

    Works ok in France

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:18pm

    Treating the symptoms, and not the disease.

    A bigger problem is how the US copyright and royalty system is setup.

    If the USPTO was better setup like the European variant, it would lead to better accountability for using all types of copyrighted products, as well as more accurate royalty disbursement. This very YouTube issue seems to again be a symptom of the much larger problem with the USPTO needing an overhaul.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Marcus Carab (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:36pm

      Re: Treating the symptoms, and not the disease.

      The USPTO doesn't deal with copyright...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DJ, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:59pm

      Re: Treating the symptoms, and not the disease.

      "better setup like the European variant"

      yeah cuz that's always worked in the past.... Newsflash, this country exists in the first place BECAUSE Europe is FUBAR. Always has been; nothing's changed.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    IronM@sk, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:19pm

    It's not blocked in Australia as of this post, and Sony actually has the Gov't granted monopoly on music in this country.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    matthid, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:23pm

    working here...

    All the videos I could try out work here in Germany... which is really surprising considering the GEZ has a pretty short leash on sites like youtube for this kind of stuff. Gotta be a legal difference... but good luck finding out what that is (Germany has one of, if not the highest number of laws anywhere).

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:28pm

    Re: Treating the symptoms, and not the disease.

    Or it could also be a "Contracts Management" issue at the labels. Either way, it seems that something, and we're not sure what, within the current system needs to be re-evaluated and/or standardized so the type of animosity being created doesn't alienate fans and customers.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DJ, 26 Mar 2010 @ 1:01pm

      Re: Re: Treating the symptoms, and not the disease.

      gee, Mike, I've never seen ANYTHING on this site in that regard.............................................................................................. ...............

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    DMM, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:28pm

    Google getting back at Sony

    Maybe this is Google's way of getting back at Sony using the automated system Google put in place at the request of the labels to identify infringing content. Google could make the automated system function broadly enough to identify the labels' own offerings to be infringing content so that the labels have to jump through the same hoops everyone else does in order to get the content back online.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Johnny Canada, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:42pm

      Re: Google getting back at Sony

      You mean Google would play games :)

      They should block it in the U.S. until Sony can prove they have the "Rights in the U.S." once Sony proves that they but in back on the site.

      Then Google blocks it in Australia and Sony jumps through the hoops again. Google but the content back up.

      Then Google blocks it in the U.K. then Canada, then Germany and so on and so on.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jari Winberg, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:32pm

    Doesn't work in Finland

    "This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is no longer available in your country."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Killer_Tofu (profile), 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:41pm

    it appears that Beyonce's official YouTube channel is blocked in the US due to a copyright infringement issue

    BWAHAHAHAHHA.
    This is priceless.
    Yet they want ISPs to know exactly what is and isn't infringing without any help. HAHAHA.
    And, just because it was recent, and people are mentioning it here in the comments, I give you this:
    http://www.xkcd.com/712/

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    AC in Sweden, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:41pm

    Not the channel, but the video

    The channel isn't blocked, rather only the "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" in Sweden.
    Way to piss off people, Sony.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    drewmo, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:43pm

    It looks like it's not Beyonce's video that's blocked, but just a video that Beyonce's youtube account has *favorited*.

    This is the user who posted the video that is blocked:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/BeyonceSME

    None of the videos *uploaded* by the Beyonce account appear to be blocked.

    So it doesn't seem that shocking, but there definitely seems to be a miscommunication between whoever's running Beyonce's youtube account and whoever at Sony is sending takedown notices.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 6:09pm

      Re:

      and this is one of the problems with our copyprivilege system, it favor big lazy corporations and enables them to shoot first and ask questions later requiring people to be held guilty of infringement until proven innocent.

      These corporations are too lazy to even check and see if they hold a copyright on something before issuing a takedown and they lobby for a legal system that gives them no incentive to do so. They can simply create bogus takedowns and, if they later find they do not have the copyprivilege, they can then claim ignorance and not be punished. We need a legal system that encourages them to ensure they do have copyprivileges on something before issuing a takedown and that sanctions huge punishment for those who issue takedowns on content they do not own, regardless of whether it was intentional or not.

      Yet the system prevents individuals from doing the same to corporations because there are punishments for intentional takedown notices, so an individual who issues a bogus takedown on corporate content will more than likely be punished for intentionally doing so. The system was intentionally designed this way.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Nice Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:49pm

    Working in Japan.

    Saturday, March 27 2010

    04:48:48

    Don't judge me I can't sleep.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Nice Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2010 @ 12:55pm

    That music clip give me the creeps LoL

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr Big Content, 26 Mar 2010 @ 2:38pm

    Beyoncé Seems To Be A Pirate

    First she was done for not paying performance fees, and now this. Seems like she’s someone with no respect for Intellectual Property rights...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2010 @ 4:29pm

      Re: Beyoncé Seems To Be A Pirate

      You mean no respect for intellectual property PRIVILEGES. And given the fact that such privileges do not deserve respect to begin with (ie: just look at the length of copyprivilege terms), why should anyone respect them?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Burgos, 26 Mar 2010 @ 4:52pm

    Blocked in the Philippines.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Archbishop, 27 Mar 2010 @ 2:07am

    Korea

    Sadly, it works in Korea.

    I've noticed a lot of songs that no longer play the original music on youtube. WMG ate up DEVO. Youtube is used to dj in bars in Korea. One day, US companies are going to send attorneys here to sue everyone since "copyright" doesn't mean much here. Or maybe it means exactly what it's supposed to mean and I'm used to US based copyright enforcement.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Vitor Jesus, 28 Mar 2010 @ 6:38pm

    Portugal: not available

    In Portugal is not available:

    "Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
    Este vídeo inclui conteúdo pertencente a Sony Music Entertainment e já não está disponível no seu país.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Andrew (profile), 29 Mar 2010 @ 4:15am

    I am in Trinidad and Tobago and it is also not available:

    "Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
    This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is no longer available in your country

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    theharmonyguy, 30 Mar 2010 @ 6:26pm

    drewmo is right

    As stated by drewmo above, this is not at all what sites are making it out to be - the blocked video was not one of Sony's.

    In fact, it's easy to duplicate this behavior for just about any video - check this link to see that Beyonce's Japanese version of "We Are the World" has also been removed:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/beyonce?blend=1&ob=4#p/f/2/87-MUkH3fgU

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    LeeC, 2 Apr 2010 @ 6:58pm

    Blocked in the UK

    Only tried one of them.

    "Beyoncé - Video Phone ft. Lady Gaga"

    This video contains content from Vevo, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    kelli, 21 Apr 2010 @ 6:42am

    kelli

    Hey Mrs. Carter how are you doing i hope to see you one day and maybe even sing or record a song with you i'm 16 years old im from New IBeria La. i love all of your songs.......

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    maria carranza, 14 May 2010 @ 3:43pm

    this is great

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    celestial elf, 28 May 2010 @ 3:29am

    Copyright

    The Raven King explains Copyright useage.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAyQf8uykEw

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    phony music non entertainment, 13 Jul 2010 @ 5:54pm

    Germany no availability of due to Phony

    Well the favorites are mostly blocked, the majority of the uploads is not. It's interesting how many other alternatives they have if Sony is not the company. Or they just write "The video is not available."
    It doesn't seem like there needs to be a company needed to claim something.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lord Dragonis, 19 Jul 2010 @ 9:55am

    In America, most of my goth music vids are blocked because of Copyrights issues! I DON'T EVEN LISTEN TO BEYONCE!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    skarrlette, 21 Aug 2010 @ 2:18pm

    DISGUSTED WITH INTERNET

    what people need to do is boycott Sony Music stop buying there stuff. why you would ever give them a nickel is beyond me. Companies that get to greedy and stick there hands into everything deserve to lose money.

    The internet was suppose to be a cool place for people to go, now its commercialized and just another money making machine its ruined and obnoxious if I see one more ad or banner come up!!!

    Why does corporate American have to stick there greedy hands into everything

    I am disgusted by all of it!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    april, 20 Dec 2010 @ 12:54pm

    What is your favorite Youtube Channel of 2010? http://bit.ly/e1C7ly

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    TATAYANA, 26 Apr 2012 @ 6:52am

    SCINCE

    CAN I GET IN NOW

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.