Remember the old days where if you wanted to watch a show, but were too busy to see it during it's regular time, you either had to tape it or you ended up missing it and have to depend on reruns? Remember the days when Tivo was this amazing machine that recorded your shows while you were gone and you could come home and watch what you recorded? Well, ladies and gentlemen, there is a new form of watching shows and it's called...drum-roll please...the Internet.
Now, before you pull out your torches and pitchforks and start calling the FCC for illegal downloads, there is something we need to discuss first. Yes, I know there is a debate going on about whether or not it's right to watch television via the internet. However, before you start pillaging Hulu and burning YouTube at the stake, we should look at the pros and cons of this type of medium.
In November 2007, the Writers Guild of America officially declared a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers when both members failed to create a new agreement after the old agreement expired. Part of the reason was due to the argument that writers should be paid more for movies and television shows that went to DVD along with movies and shows that were broadcast over the internet (Cieply, 2007).
With the fear of numerous shows halting production due to the lack of writers, one man decided to take the bull by the horns and find a loophole. David Letterman, a late-night talkshow host on CBS and owner of World Wide Pants, Inc., decided to step in and hold a special discussion between his company--which owns both his own Late Show and the Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson--and the Writers Guild. The big discussion was about how writers would be paid for movies and shows that were broadcast on new media such as the Internet. However, Letterman and the guild came to a separate agreement: CBS will continue to hold the digital rights to both shows, but Letterman's World Wide Pants, Inc. will reimburse the writers in full for any money that CBS makes off of the new media format. The writer's agreed and Letterman and Ferguson were able to return to work eight weeks later with their writers while other networks had to wait even longer since they were owned by the official networks (which were the WGA's opposition) (Farhi, 2007).
Originally, watching downloaded or streaming television on the computer was considered illegal. In some cases, it may still be considered illegal if it is being distributed by an outside party rather than by the official company. You also have companies such as Viacom who demanded that any Viacom and/or subsidiary videos be removed from YouTube's server since Viacom did not originally see the marketing potential behind having videos online (Viacom demands for YouTube to remove unauthorized videos, 2007). However, more and more companies are starting to see the profitable potential of hosting shows on their sites.
For example, Hulu.com hosts videos from networks such as FOX and NBC. The difference is that Hulu uses paid advertisments that users have to watch in order to see the rest of the video (Deleon, 2008). On the CBS site, users now have to watch commercials--such as the Ford Flex--in order to see videos on the site. Even Viacom, who earlier removed all Viacom-affliated videos from YouTube, is now hosting full episodes on some of their websites such as Comedy Central.
So, does this mean that streaming video and video websites are legal? Not quite. It depends on who is distributing the videos and whether or not it is an act of copyright infringement. Also, there are some countries--such as England--that consider video streaming online to be illegal since many users do not pay a television license to watch streaming video. However, I guess it depends upon what is within the legalities of the user and the company. The safest thing to do is to watch the shows when they come on television--so the Nielsen Ratings will stop having a heart attack over low ratings because of more internet television watchers--and avoid online video. However, if you want to watch video online, go for it, but make sure you do not live in a place that requires a television license nor should you upload full episodes or seasons onto YouTube. Just to be on the safe side.
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Cieply, M. (2007, November 5). Writers begin strike as talks break off. New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05strike.html
Deleon, N. (2008, November 17). Why is Hulu more valuable to advertisers than YouTube? CrunchGear. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/11/17/why-is-hulu-more-valued-by-advertisers-than-youtube/
Farhi, P. (2007, December 29). Letterman and writers strike deal, gives CBS the edge. Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR2007122802625.html
Viacom demands for YouTube to remove unauthorized videos. International Hearld Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/02/business/web.0202youtube.php
Now, before you pull out your torches and pitchforks and start calling the FCC for illegal downloads, there is something we need to discuss first. Yes, I know there is a debate going on about whether or not it's right to watch television via the internet. However, before you start pillaging Hulu and burning YouTube at the stake, we should look at the pros and cons of this type of medium.
In November 2007, the Writers Guild of America officially declared a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers when both members failed to create a new agreement after the old agreement expired. Part of the reason was due to the argument that writers should be paid more for movies and television shows that went to DVD along with movies and shows that were broadcast over the internet (Cieply, 2007).
With the fear of numerous shows halting production due to the lack of writers, one man decided to take the bull by the horns and find a loophole. David Letterman, a late-night talkshow host on CBS and owner of World Wide Pants, Inc., decided to step in and hold a special discussion between his company--which owns both his own Late Show and the Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson--and the Writers Guild. The big discussion was about how writers would be paid for movies and shows that were broadcast on new media such as the Internet. However, Letterman and the guild came to a separate agreement: CBS will continue to hold the digital rights to both shows, but Letterman's World Wide Pants, Inc. will reimburse the writers in full for any money that CBS makes off of the new media format. The writer's agreed and Letterman and Ferguson were able to return to work eight weeks later with their writers while other networks had to wait even longer since they were owned by the official networks (which were the WGA's opposition) (Farhi, 2007).
Originally, watching downloaded or streaming television on the computer was considered illegal. In some cases, it may still be considered illegal if it is being distributed by an outside party rather than by the official company. You also have companies such as Viacom who demanded that any Viacom and/or subsidiary videos be removed from YouTube's server since Viacom did not originally see the marketing potential behind having videos online (Viacom demands for YouTube to remove unauthorized videos, 2007). However, more and more companies are starting to see the profitable potential of hosting shows on their sites.
For example, Hulu.com hosts videos from networks such as FOX and NBC. The difference is that Hulu uses paid advertisments that users have to watch in order to see the rest of the video (Deleon, 2008). On the CBS site, users now have to watch commercials--such as the Ford Flex--in order to see videos on the site. Even Viacom, who earlier removed all Viacom-affliated videos from YouTube, is now hosting full episodes on some of their websites such as Comedy Central.
So, does this mean that streaming video and video websites are legal? Not quite. It depends on who is distributing the videos and whether or not it is an act of copyright infringement. Also, there are some countries--such as England--that consider video streaming online to be illegal since many users do not pay a television license to watch streaming video. However, I guess it depends upon what is within the legalities of the user and the company. The safest thing to do is to watch the shows when they come on television--so the Nielsen Ratings will stop having a heart attack over low ratings because of more internet television watchers--and avoid online video. However, if you want to watch video online, go for it, but make sure you do not live in a place that requires a television license nor should you upload full episodes or seasons onto YouTube. Just to be on the safe side.
-------------
Cieply, M. (2007, November 5). Writers begin strike as talks break off. New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05strike.html
Deleon, N. (2008, November 17). Why is Hulu more valuable to advertisers than YouTube? CrunchGear. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/11/17/why-is-hulu-more-valued-by-advertisers-than-youtube/
Farhi, P. (2007, December 29). Letterman and writers strike deal, gives CBS the edge. Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR2007122802625.html
Viacom demands for YouTube to remove unauthorized videos. International Hearld Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/02/business/web.0202youtube.php
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