News
YouTube Tests Download and Creative Commons License Options
Eric Steuer, February 12th, 2009
YouTube just made an incredibly exciting announcement: it’s testing an option that gives video owners the ability to allow downloads and share their work under Creative Commons licenses. The test is being launched with a handful of partners, including Stanford, Duke, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UCTV.
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for you to find, watch, and share videos. Many of you have told us that you wanted to take your favorite videos offline. So we’ve started working with a few partners who want their videos shared universally and even enjoyed away from an Internet connection.
Many video creators on YouTube want their work to be seen far and wide. They don’t mind sharing their work, provided that they get the proper credit. Using Creative Commons licenses, we’re giving our partners and community more choices to make that happen. Creative Commons licenses permit people to reuse downloaded content under certain conditions.
Visit YouTube’s blog for information. And if you’re are a partner who wants to participate, fill out the YouTube Downloads – Partner Interest form.
Greg M. Johnson
February 12th, 2009 at 3:43 pmThe thing you don’t get is that everything under Youtube (IANAL) has been in effect under a cc-by-nd license. It seemed (IANAL) like you could reuse the videos on any commercial site with impunity– it was expected in the culture with those “embed” tags.
Now if you go and say only a select few are actually CC, you’ve opened a can of worms. (IANAL).
gurdonark
February 12th, 2009 at 5:05 pmThis is real progress–but it needs to go beyond “partners” to truly succeed.
Also Greg
February 12th, 2009 at 6:56 pmit’s clear greg is, as he says, not a lawyer. :)
JC John Sese Cuneta
February 12th, 2009 at 7:01 pm@gurdonark: That’s why it says “test”??
@Greg: I agree, by being able to embed it elsewhere, it is in a sense “sharing”, although not by hosting it ourselves, but being able to post/embed it in our own sites is.
I wonder now if the Free Culture have to redefine “sharing” and include the concept of “embedding”?
Kyla
February 13th, 2009 at 8:43 amThis is certainly interesting! While Greg raises an interesting point, it will be interesting to see how the decide to integrate this. Perhaps things with all rights reserved will not (should not?) have embed codes and things with a license to share will allow either embedding, downloading or both depending on the CC options.
gurdonark
February 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pm@JC John Sese Cuneta you’re right, it’s a test.
Also, in fairness, Youtube has not, to my knowledge, prevented anyone from putting a CC license on their own film uploaded to youtube, in the own credits.
The new innovation is rather enhanced CC support, with a downloading feature.
My hope is that the test is a prelude to full CC support, as is offered at other sites.
The implied license of the “embed” is an interesting issue, but one we need not solve to appreciate this test.
Stewart
February 14th, 2009 at 7:55 amnice job~ hope it would be extended to public users as well.
Jarod White
February 15th, 2009 at 1:55 amthis is too cool….because essentially, what this means is that any material….both professional or amateur, will be made legal to view and share on youtube. for example, anything such as television episodes to popular independent genres can be shared without copyright infringement. as long as the proper people are given credit, there is nothing wrong. thanks youtube…..finally!
Christian
February 15th, 2009 at 5:48 pmAwesome!
Sergei
February 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pmif YouTube allowed every vid to be downloaded, then the hacks/websites/programs/firefo x add ons would go under, YouTube wold PWN them and they would be offline within days lol.
Billigflug
February 17th, 2009 at 5:33 amYes Sergei, i concede a point to your “probs” !
YouTube would be take the monopoly position…
But this is the free market economy…
Wait a few Years, and you will understand the meaning of “onesidedness”!
Greets
augustlincoln
February 25th, 2009 at 6:25 pm@Jarod White: Actually, tv shows will only be okay to share if the copyright holders grant CC license instead of retaining their copyrights, which is unlikely. If you, the user, post a tv show and mark it “Creative Commons,” even if you give credit, you’re still going to get your video taken down, and maybe a slap on the wrist to boot.
Modellbau Autos
July 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pmit’s clear greg is, as he says, not a lawyer. :)
Kaffeevollautomaten
September 29th, 2009 at 1:54 amIs this still up-to-date?
Credit Card
November 4th, 2009 at 10:43 amThis is real progress–but it needs to go beyond “partners” to truly succeed.