What's New With Youtube

Here's an update on all the latest headlines involving Youtube.

1. Youtube has struck a deal with right's holders and music videos return to the UK version of the site. Meanwhile, protests occur in response the the British government's plans to disconnect persistent file sharers.

YouTube UK welcomes back the music
(LINK)
YouTube and PRS make peace as musicians protest about plans to punish file sharers
(LINK)

2. Yet another new business model is in the works, which is a good sign that rights holders might be closer to realising the benefits of embracing new distribution methods.

WSJ: YouTube and movie studios in talks over streaming rentals
(LINK)

The Television Industry CAN be Saved

According to Ashley Highfield, Microsoft UK's Managing Director of Consumer and Online, the television industry can be rescued if it embraces a few ideas from the internet, most especially "the democratisation of programming".

As a representative of a software company it is of course no surprise that monetisation and copyright protection will have to be central elements to this rescue.

The full report, from the Guardian UK, also says that Highfield is dismissive of Hulu's likelihood of success if they were to attempt to enter the UK market. In a related report, MSN's video player service has proved quite popular in its first days.

Source

Microsoft's Ashley Highfield: 'We must face piracy head on'
(LINK)
Microsoft's MSN Video Player nears 170,000 show views in first 11 days
(LINK)