WSJ: CBS-YouTube Deal Falling Apart

TV networks are increasingly apprehensive about potential copyright infringements on YouTube even though the video-sharing site complies with requests to take down copyrighted content published without permission. The Wall Street Journal reports sources say CBS could be the latest deal to fall through for YouTube. It is unclear how concerns over copyrights will impact any CBS-YouTube deal since the WSJ mentions sources say negotiations stalled on issues such as how long the deal should be. Nonetheless, YouTube has faced setbacks recently as media companies (such as Viacom and NBC) it had been negotiating with changed course and even requested content be blocked and/or removed. A key question for Google is if it can be held liable even if YouTube removes unauthorized material. Media companies claim they want to avoid lawsuits. Some are creating their own video sites, but YouTube remains the undisputed king, driving monthly traffic now topping 30 million visitors.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal
Commentary: WSJ: Viacom Nears Online Video Deal With Joost.com • Google Comes Under Fire For Alleged Support Of Pirated Content • Media Giants to Form YouTube Rival
Stocks/ETFs to watch: CBS (CBS), Google (GOOG). Competitors: Viacom (VIA), General Electric (GE), Time Warner (TWX), News Corp (NWS), Disney (DIS). ETFs: PowerShares Dynamic Media (PBS), First Trust IPOX-100 Index (FPX), NASDAQ 100 Trust Shares (QQQQ)

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