In this video, Tom Guarriello, Ph.D. reports on a Reuters story announcing that YouTube has signed a broad licensing agreement with major music label EMI. The deal allows YouTube users not only to watch authorized EMI music videos but also to incorporate elements of those videos into their own user‑generated content without fear of copyright takedown. Guarriello contrasts this breakthrough with Apple’s recent DRM‑free iTunes deal with EMI, highlighting a shift toward more logical, creator‑friendly copyright enforcement. He praises YouTube staff (Chad, Steve, and the team) for achieving the agreement, emphasizes how the deal expands creative freedom for video makers, and expresses hope that similar licensing logic will extend to other major owners such as Viacom. The commentary is underscored by a Fats Domino recording, linking the music to EMI’s catalog and providing a cultural touchstone.
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Hey guys, it's Tom. Summer here in Connecticut. Today it really became summer. I don't know if you guys saw the news today about a new deal that YouTube just signed. Listen to this. This is from Reuters and the headline is YouTube signs broad licensing pact with EMI. Now the music you hear in the background is Fats Domino. Fats Domino, of course, one of the all-time great R&B artists from New Orleans, an EMI artist. I'm playing that in the background because of this deal. Here's what it says: YouTube has agreed to a breakthrough deal with major music label EMI to give users of YouTube's video sharing site broad access to music videos by EMI artists. That's pretty cool. More importantly for me, however, is this piece. In a statement, the company said YouTube users would be allowed not only to watch and play authorized videos and recordings from EMI artists, but also to incorporate elements of these videos in YouTube users' own user-generated content. So look, earlier, uh, maybe a month or so ago, Apple signed a deal with EMI to allow Apple to start selling digital rights management free music on iTunes. That started yesterday. So in the last 24 hours, there have been significant breaks in this whole crazy copyright situation that essentially criminalizes people like us for putting music in the background of our videos, which is, you know, how that— how— I mean, I bought the music, I own the music, How that is somehow— I'm not charging anybody to watch my video for the music— how that is an infringement on somebody's rights has always been a huge question mark, and finally we're starting to get something that resembles logic in this situation. So this is a big deal. Congratulations to Chad and Steve and the folks at YouTube for making this happen. This is going to really broaden our options to be able to make the kind of videos we want to make put the material in it that we want to put, be creative in the ways that we can be creative, and not feel like at any moment our stuff is vulnerable to be taken down, that we're vulnerable to have, you know, cease and desist letters sent, and that kind of craziness. So good work. Let's hope we can actually expand this kind of logic to include, oh, I don't know, how about people from Viacom, for example. So take it easy, see you guys soon. Bye.
You're the one to blame. I'll cry, ain't that a shame? My tears feel like rain. Ain't that a shame? You're the one to blame.
