A Message for WMG Created 14 years ago2010-02-19 00:47:06 UTC by Archie

TWHL, the time for action is now.
Many of you are wondering where the MotMs went. Many of you have voiced concerns that the reviews you deserve aren't being made.
Let me assure you that they are in fact being made - but they are being sabotaged by someone who hates you. You, the every day media-savvy punter.

TWHL, many of you have projects - the content of which can only be fully appreciated through the form of AV. Many of you do not own servers with the bandwidth required to share said AV content with the world. Many of you turn to youtube.
Many of you are then aghast to find your audio, or in some cases entire video disabled due to Copyright infringement.

TWHL, the time has come to ask not ourselves, but the people responsible just how much bullshit they think we are willing to put up with. We must ask how using <15 seconds of a song constitutes stealing in this new media world.

The suits behind such decisions to remove your videos are living in the past. They have no fucking clue how the new media world works and they are TERRIFIED. They resort to extreme measures because they are under the delusion that if people can view a video using 15 seconds of one of their label's songs they will lose money. In reality - the exact opposite is true.

In a way it's free advertising.

The current chart toppers have one thing in common - the music video is available for FREE on youtube. It is these companies who have embraced New Media who are succeeding and companies like (but not exclusively) WMG are falling behind.

And even if making their own stupidity apparent to them isn't enough; I argue that they are in fact abusing US copyright laws themselves.
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Now I say that a non-profit video which has been painstakingly edited for hours in time with a particular excerpt from a song is fair. fucking. use.

Up and coming directors and film makers are being denied the opportunity to show their work and get noticed by the industry. They don't have access to professional music recording equipment - they can't afford to buy the rights and pay royalties. These are non-profit videos and they deserve to be treated as such.

(tl;dr: start here)
TWHL, I need your help.

I want you. You and your family. You and your family and your friends and your friends' families.
I want you to record you giving WMG the middle finger - to be used in a MadV style compilation video.
So far I have several hundred college students agreed to be recorded from my area. I want more.
Pick up your webcam, your mobile phone or your video camera and give WMG a one-fingered salute.

Sorry, I can't see the connection between MotM and the Industry vs. fair use media.

I don't even have an account in YT, but if I ever have one and use it, I would always include a notice reminding that whatever media I use falls under fair use definition in my videos.

When I buy music CDs, I do it because I believe the artist deserves from me the cent or two they get from it - they have earned it with quality work. But I'd rather buy it directly from them if I could. The corporate part of it doesn't deserve anything better than getting kneecapped and tossed in a sewer. Of course, then they might think of a way to charge you for shitting in their sewer so maybe they should be just eliminated.

Also, what's WMG? Windows Media Goat?

can't see the connection between MotM and the Industry vs. fair use media.

Several recent MotM videos have been disabled on Youtube.

but if I ever have one and use it, I would always include a notice reminding that whatever media I use falls under fair use definition in my videos.

Yeah, that won't stop it being disabled.

I buy my music. All of it. I have a library with around 3000 tracks.
Probably less than 10% of those weren't purchased by me. I agree that artists deserve to be paid. You're missing my point.

what's WMG

Warner Music Group

Every crappy fan music video that gets pulled gains them +1 respect from me, even if it shows gross disrespect of the doctrine.

Aw, I liked Windows Media Goat better

It's not them alone, it's most major labels. Sony, EMI, etc. But it's the same. Fuck all of them.

...or bypass the whole shit and use royalty free music like from Newgrounds.com.

MOTM music shouldn't have lyrics anyway, it's an audio review, words get mixed up. Use more game music, I've not heard of any cases of that being pulled from youtube. Also, save the project files you used to make the video so you can reupload it (with copyrited music removed, if needed). As rimrook said, you can also use music that falls under a creative commons license.

We need more creative commons music in this world.
And corporations everywhere, in every field, should get their heads out their asses and smarten up.

In the latest review I uploaded, there are no songs with lyrics. Still got pulled. Don't see why lyrics are relevant.

+1 on Rimrook's suggestion.

Did you back up your videos?

I'll do it next time i start up my laptop

While I can't contribute to the visuals (no digital camera of any kind) Might I suggest a nice protest song such as Twisted Sister's "We're not gonna take it"?
I'm not sure if it's owned by WMG, but if it is, then it would just add to the irony, no?

Just a reminder that this is still happening. Got around 50 people so far. Target is ~200

Bump -Ouch, my head hurt!

Alright. I want to say that there are methods of surpassing this youtube copyright detection. One of which is not using quality audio, or mix it up with different sounds. Of course this is not a solution if you intend playing only that melody.

Is this idea still alive Huntey?

Using crappy quality audio seems like a pretty poor way to bypass the system, haha.
There are actually sections of copyright law you can quote in your copyright dispute which work most of the time, but it doesn't change the fact that WMG are idiots :3

The idea isn't dead, but I've just kinda stopped receiving submissions, and I don't feel I have enough to make it an effective message.

Big companies = douchey.

I wonder if any artist, ever, would request a track be removed from a fan-made video. I seriously doubt it, this is just the music industry suits talking. Total bullshit. God I hope that industry topples over itself some day.

Big companies = douchey.

I wonder if any artist, ever, would request a track be removed from a fan-made video. I seriously doubt it, this is just the music industry suits talking. Total bullshit. God I hope that industry topples over itself some day.

Also, double post.

T-t-t-triple post!

In all seriousness, I'd be tempted to contribute now, if I could blur out my face (which I'm sure I could) and had a digital camera.

I'm still in the dark ages for the most part...

MOTM music shouldn't have lyrics anyway, it's an audio review, words get mixed up.

Which is why acoustic versions were born.

OP: Never uploaded a video with a song and had it pulled, in fact i only have one song of all my videos anyways, and i generally have a project file or raw footage available for that kind of a situation.

If you want the audio re-activated on your youtube vids that have been sabotaged by WMG commies, claim that it is allowed under law for fair use, and quote

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

This may not apply to a review because it is promoting / advertising something, but I'm sure we've all had random fun videos muted, so this can be of use to some people at least.

Works for me

Funny to get that advice from someone with that username

I'll bear that in mind, and will try to remember that when I have an account in YT.