Europe's digi-boss tells YouTube to cough up proper music royalties

[tangor]

The European Union's digital chief has told YouTube that it needs to start compensating copyright owners properly.

Andrus Ansip is currently updating Europe's copyright rules and spoke publicly about how the Google-owned video site was providing far less to copyright owners than competing services such as Spotify.

Co-manager of heavy rock band Metallica, Peter Mensch, this week called YouTube "the devil," noting, "we don't get paid at all." In an interview with the BBC, he argued that "if someone doesn't do something about YouTube, we're screwed. It's over. Someone turn off the lights."

Ansip admitted, however, that it was "unclear" exactly how the EU will enforce such a framework, when most of the services in question are based in the United States, and therefore outside the EU's jurisdiction.

[theregister.co.uk...]

[MrSavage]

I find this very interesting. It's something I was puzzled about regarding all the music on YouTube and the fact that you don't need to buy an album. Everything you need is there including bootleg footage. Pay them more, then the YouTubers will get less. Prepare yourselves (me included) to get a smaller piece of the pie soon.

[jmccormac]

No more free money for Google? With the Android antitrust move against Google, it seems the EU are going after it in a big way.

Regards...jmcc

[MrSavage]

The number of YouTube visitors that are viewing copyrighted material vs non copyrighted material? Now that would be an interesting perspective. Music wise, YouTube is a wealth on viewing and listening experiences. A melting pot. I think it shows just how amazing things can be when there is no copyright protection. People streaming games? The games are copyrighted materials too and if all companies were like Nintendo, most of them would be gone overnight. Music industry are protective so I'm surprised it has taken this long.