Today’s Media Guardian reports how Alexa is now showing YouTube as having overtaken MySpace (note to self: when you create your Web 2.0, or even 3.0, company, ensure that it’s two words with no space and two capitals – it’s the law).
I’m sure it’s fantastic news for YouTube, a bit like the way that Murdoch’s doing well out of MySpace. But both sites, in my view, have some serious questions that need answering in the world of copyright before they can be fully monetised.
I’ve been through the arguments about YouTube before, and a Napster-style takedown has got to happen at some point, sadly. MySpace is a little more confusing, but it too is full of copyright music. A lot of it is new music that bands and artists have put up there themselves, and that’s great. But what about all the copyright material that anyone can put up themselves? Even if I can only stream and not download the track, that still has to be paid for.
For example, I note today that even Media Guardian’s “Monkey” has got himself a website there in honour of Murdoch’s conference in Pebble Beech, at which Tony Blair felt it was somehow necessary to give a speech. Maybe he can come and give a talk at our company? We’re not even that far from Downing Street. We could arrange it in the lunch hour.
But back to the Media Monkey MySpace site. When you go on it, you’re regaled with Hey Hey, We’re The Monkeys, by the eponymous group. Very funny. And the hideous design is true of many MySpace sites, it’s as if nobody’s moved on from the early days of GeoCities.
I would like to know where along the way, The Monkees songwriters and performers get their cut?
Questions, questions, questions.