RESPONDING TO a take-down notice, YouTube removed 29,549 clips after a demand from the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers that claimed TV, music and movies had been uploaded without permission from the copyright holders. Pulling down content normally avoids lawsuits. YouTube appears committed to removing content immediately after receiving a take-down request.
It's much better form to send a take-down notice than to launch a lawsuit like Robert Tur has done. Tur is suing YouTube after his footage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots received a few thousand views.
YouTube's smartest move might have been to give several record companies an equity stake worth up to $50 million. Shareholders rarely sue themselves.
Pete Cashmore -- "YouTube Deletes 29,549 Videos After Japanese Complaints"
