Mark Cuban: YouTube's Copyright Infringement is Arrogant

Mark Cuban is angry at YouTube and its owner, Google (GOOG). Viacom’s (VIA) demand that YouTube remove 100,000 clips including content from its network shows is really a victory for Google. The video site, Cuban says, claims it cannot monitor all the videos uploaded everyday to its site, and so relies on copyright owners, like Viacom, to request removal of infringing material.

"Gootube has taken the arrogant position with big media that 'You can't stop us ... if you want us to (filter infringements of your material), you have to do a deal with us'," Cuban blogged.

Cuban then challenged his readers to upload porno videos to YouTube. He couldn't find any on the site. That is proof, he believes, that GooTube is perfectly capable of blocking material, but "They choose to save that technology and use it only for those big content owners they can swing (advertising) deals with," said Cuban.

Cuban is angry that full-length movies and TV shows are not removed by YouTube staffers. "By their own admission YouTube employees review them," he said. But, he argues, Google refuses to do this unless they have a deal with the copyright owner.

As a content producer himself, Cuban says Google's position that it takes down material only after receiving a notice from the copyright owner is unfair. "To say it's time consuming and expensive is an understatement."

One reader's comment on Cuban's post said that asking folks to upload porn was provocative but not especially useful. The comment recommended that Cuban ask people to flag copyrighted material which would force reviews by YouTube employees.Ds

But even with Viacom's demands, it wasn't difficult this morning to find clips of Jon Stewart on YouTube.

A reasonable person would say that Viacom's demand is a negotiating point, trying to increase Google's cost of doing business and knowing that fans of its shows will continue to upload clips, day after day. Viacom can afford the lawyers and the letter writers to keep the pressure on. Google/'GooTube' has deep pockets, too.

Disclaimer: I own shares of Google and Viacom.