Everyone is talking about it, so we might as well quit pretending it didn't happen. Google acquired YouTube, for $1.65 billion in stock options (not hard cash).

The long-standing issue regarding Google is that, even before this ostentatious addition to its many fairly dangerous toys, it has been making a habit of getting sued, prevailing, rolling rough-shod over its opponent, and moving on to the next fit of bombast.

YouTube has its own problems.  At its core, YouTube is to video what the original Napster was to music -- a place to facilitate the unauthorized use of copyrighted material. Before anyone jumps to defend the free trade of tuneage, let us all recognize that "copyrighted material" is just a fancy, lawyer's word for "other people's stuff."  It sounds so innocent, until it's your stuff.  You put your name on that Sprite, put it in the breakroom fridge, and when you come back for it, everyone is passing it around, swigging off your drink. Then one of your co-workers blurts out, between belches, that you should be happy that nobody here is afraid to drink after you. Well, anyway, that's how it feels when someone steals YOUR tuneage, dudes. You can only imagine how it would be if your Sprite cost you $3 million (or $175 million) to make, as many pirated TV shows and films do.   Still not impressed?  Many people in the film industry work on film projects in unglamorous, difficult jobs with long hours, and when the film doesn't make money, neither do these little peoople.  Ultimately, when films are pirated, some little, hard-working somebody somewhere doesn't get paid.

But we're off topic, here.

How about that "user created content"?  The copyright-safe material is often silly, amateur stuff that has a short shelf life, and unless you really work the YouTube social networking system, it won't get seen by much of anybody.  This component of the suite of videos could become passe´if and when something more interesting comes along.  After all, everybody was making personal home pages, until blogging came along. 

The truth is, the majority of users of online video content view TV shows, movies, music videos, and other professionally made content.  TV networks, movie studios and others have figured this out, and offer content on their sites already.  The advantage for viewers is that an NBC show can be found on... NBC.  Easy.

Back to Google, the proud new owner of the steaming heap of stolen or worthless clips, haphazardly catalogued in a portal that has yet to make a profit, even though the site sells what looks to be high-dollar advertising. This is what they spent your AdWords fees and their investors' money on.

 

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