Viacom to Sign Deal with Joost
Two weeks after Viacom ordered Google to take down more than 100,000 allegedly copyrighted videos from YouTube, the media giant is about to sign a content deal with Joost, the Wall Street Journal is reporting tonight. Joost, the P2P online television service soon …
Context & Ripple Effects
Viacom had just ordered Google to remove more than 100,000 allegedly copyrighted videos from YouTube. Against that enforcement backdrop, the reported Joost arrangement signals that Viacom is seeking a rights-controlled outlet for online video rather than relying on unauthorized distribution.
First-order effects
- If completed, the reported deal gives Viacom a licensed channel on Joost while supplying Joost with programming from a major media company.
- Google and YouTube face greater pressure to distinguish unauthorized uploads from licensed video relationships as Viacom redirects attention toward an approved distributor.
Second-order effects
- Joost's ability to secure a Viacom agreement makes rights clearance a more important competitive asset for online-video services competing for major-studio programming.
Third-order effects
- The pairing of takedown demands with licensed distribution points toward a market in which media owners use copyright enforcement to steer online viewing toward partners that accept negotiated control over their content.
The trend: Online video is developing around a split between open upload platforms and licensed distribution partnerships, with copyright enforcement helping determine where professional media appears.