For
my research project I wish to focus on YouTube and their copyright infringement
laws. Reason being why I chose this was because I myself am part of the YouTube
community and wish to address YouTube's copyright infringement laws and whether
they actually protect YouTubers.
My
main focus for this project will be whether or not YouTube copyright infringement
laws help or hurt YouTubers. From my research findings so far I have found many
problems coming from small screenwriters where big companies will take their
creations and take them for themselves. From the article YouTube--The
Next Generation of Infringing on Creative Works: What Can Be Done to Protect
the Screenwriters? by Ashlee M. Knucky, she addresses how it's been a
huge problem with the big companies taking from small YouTubers and majority of
the time they get away with it because their "lawsuit would be thrown out on summary
judgment almost immediately, because without direct proof of access, courts
will rarely find works similar enough to present them to a jury." [1].
Since this has been a big problem for YouTubers, I chose this topic to address
what has been done and/or what needs to be done to protect the current and
future YouTubers.
With YouTube
becoming more and more popular as time goes on I feel this is a good and timely
topic to chose. Youtube currently has 1 billion active users each month, and
that is a lot of people to be viewing content. And out of those billion of
people, how many are taking footage and ideas from YouTubers? Youtube is a business,
it's some peoples main source of income, which is why I chose to focus on their
copyright infringement laws and why this is going to be a good example
of an academic research and writing. From my sources they focus on individual
trials that break YouTube's copyright infringement laws or what is wrong with
their copyright infringement laws. I want to take those sources a step further
and look at what YouTube copyright infringement laws actually do, and what they
can do or have done to change them so they do protect their creators. Instead
of focusing in on individual cases or groups, I'd like to focus more on the
YouTube community as a whole and research on what can be done to help protect
them.
1. Knuckey,
Ashlee M. "YouTube--The Next Generation of Infringing on Creative Works:
What Can Be Done to Protect the Screenwriters?"LexisNexis Academic.
N.p., 2009. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=285301&sr=TITLE(YouTube--The+Next+Generation+of+Infringing+on+Creative+Works%3A+What+Can+Be+Done+to+Protect+the+Screenwriters%3F)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2009
2 New Sources
Breen J. YouTube or YouLose: Can YouTube Survive a
Copyright Infringement Lawsuit?. Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal [serial online]. Fall2007
2007;16(1):151-182. Available from: OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), Ipswich , MA
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=502fd3ca-fe65-4deb-946a-e767e0bbdc98%40sessionmgr198&hid=110&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVpZCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=ofm&AN=502581557
Hassanabadi A. VIACOM V. YOUTUBE—ALL EYES BLIND:
THE LIMITS OF THE DMCA IN A WEB 2.0 WORLD.Berkeley Technology Law Journal [serial online]. 2011 Annual Review
2011;26(1):405-439. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich , MA
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=85aa2de1-c0a9-4da9-998e-9e0bb9643075%40sessionmgr110&hid=110&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVpZCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=67089738
These two
new sources that I found address YouTube's copyright infringement laws. I
found both of these sources by searching for YouTube and copyright, YouTube and
DMCA, and YouTube and copyright infringement. The first source being on
lawsuits against YouTube due to their copyright infringement laws and whether
or not YouTube could survive them if more come. The other source focuses more
on an individual case (Viacom v. Youtube) and addresses the U.S. Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) may not be meeting issues that have been
raised in the internet field. I feel both of these sources will help my
research the first source does address how YouTube may not be able to keep
taking hits from copyright lawsuits and the other source is an actual case
involving the copyright act.
This is an interesting topic. Just to clear it up you are talking about people who are uploading videos and protecting their ideas and and projects. I think it will be a big deal for you to really pinpoint a case where a big company had stolen an idea from a youtuber and then made big money off it. This will really point out a flaw in the system of youtube. From there going with your methodology you should explore how youtube can be fixed to better help the users and what the punishment for the violators of thieves will be. You seem to have done a lot of research on youtube itself I think you should start looking at the copyright laws. I would start looking for court cases surrounding this idea. Not only will they be scholarly sources but it again will prove that there is actually a problem in the system. Another thing to look into is how can you make this problem relevant to the people who are just watching the videos. What is at stake for this audience in the argument. At some point you're going to need to include some inquiry. I'm afraid that you may just look at the problem and explain the flaws and then a solution which in my opinion is fine but as far as the class goes the people looking at your portfolio will want to see some inquiry. I dont think this will be hard for you i just wanted to point it that it is something that needs work and you need to make sure that it happens.
ReplyDeleteI will start by saying that I find your topic fascinating, and that I really like how you came out and said what it is that you are talking about, and why it matters to you. Having a background as a YouTuber will add a great deal of authority to your writing. That being said, as someone who uses YouTube, to view videos, I am not sure how I, or anyone else who uses YouTube to watch content, fit into the discussion. Don’t get wrong, I’m not saying that the content should not be produced in ethical manner, but it also is not too clear why viewers are affected by YouTube’s policy on copyright infringement. I agree with Dylan, if you can make more clear what it is that the audience has to lose it would make for an easier read for someone who does not have the same level of personal involvement. Another thing to watch out for is that the issue as you have presented it can get a little side tracked into yes or no questions. When you ask, “Does YouTube’s policy hurt or help its users?” the answer to that could be “Yes, it hurts anyone who tries to produce videos”, or “No, it does not hurt anyone”, without containing too much original research. That being said, it should not take too much effort to find a lot of information on that topic. I am sure that there are already quite a few YouTubers out there who have commented on the policy already. You could build off of what they have talked about, I mention this because you do not seem to be have too much trouble finding good scholarly sources about your topic. Additionally, you might be able to contact one or two of the site’s other contributors to ask them how the policy has affected them. The barrier to do that sort of thing is quite low, since YouTube is a social media platform, and like I have already said hearing feedback from a person who produces videos adds a great deal of authority to your topic.
ReplyDeleteThe proposal captured my attention right away due to the fact that I’ve been struggling to understand the same issue for quite some time now (also because I too, use youtube). Having come from the part of the world where copyright is nonexistent, this paper will surely be exciting for me. So great job at that. The question itself attacks the exact spot that needs to be, but it might be a little broad. I don’t know how or why, I just think it might be. “Help” and “hurt” varies greatly depends on one’s background, actions, thoughts and ability. But I believe you possess reasonable knowledge about said topic so that probably won’t be a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe question, however, might not be able to generate 10 pages of words, or at least that’s what I have in mind. Even with a whole lot of examples (which is a method of delivering ideas for this particular topic), that amount of words still seem to be a lot more. Also you chose to focus on the general population of youtube so I don’t believe there will be too many examples. Although, interviewing some other youtuber might be a source for alternative information. Hell, you can even interview yourself. You’ve found some relevant sources but sometimes they might just address the same issue of the topic, so either you will have to do the rest or find a new source (what I will probably have to end up doing). I don’t know anything about copyright so I can’t tell if your sources are good or not though.
This proposal stands out to me as a fairly complex matter to be discussed about (or maybe it’s just me).
As you already said, this matter should be brought up now (and again in the future multiple times) because of all the money and reputation issue. It might be unfair or it might not be, but it needs to be talked about (and probably something else should be done). What I’d also like to see is the perspective of both sides in this topic, so we’ll have a bigger picture of what’s going down.
Your methodology is so simple yet it generates such intricate thinking and analyzing. Again, I’m not familiar with the topic itself so I might not understand everything you’ve mentioned in the proposal but I can tell surely enough how you’re approaching it.