YouTube, the ever popular video upload and viewing site, has unveiled a copy protection plan which will prevent members from uploading copyrighted content without permission. The infrastructure developed requires copyright holders to provide GooTube with copies of their work so they can be compared with any copyrighted video or audio upload that infringes. Once verified, a movie will be automatically deleted. But what is really telling about it is that copyright holders will have the option to sell ads around any video clips they choose to keep available on YouTube.

It’s unclear whether the new plan will placate Hollywood Studios like Viacom which filed a $1.2 billion lawsuit forcing YouTube to pull hundreds of thousands of video clips members had posted. Google says that up to nine studios have already actively participated in successfully testing the protection plan, Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner Inc., being among them.
Viacom seems to be taking a measured wait and see attitude towards YouTube’s copy protection plan. They applaud the effort, but it’s too soon to tell if it will completely satisfy Viacom to the point of dropping their lawsuit. Other plaintiffs with similar lawsuits have slammed the plan, stating it’s completely inadequate. Because the plan requires copyright holders to provide copies of the material they want to protect, critics argue that this will only fuel piracy further, not abate it. But that’s a straw dog as perfect video copies can be made from any store bought DVD (much less the true culprits - which are inside jobs from video duplicators handling the manufacture of the DVDs in the first place).

But the bummer is that some of the best clips that made YouTube what it is today won’t be around once the plan goes live. If it ever does, that is.

Source: ABC via Gear Live