The Web as a mainstream tool accessible to everyone has changed things for copyright owners. Whether they choose to embrace the Internet or not could determine their survival through the current revolution. But it could well be too late, and social networking could be to blame.

The Writing’s On The Wall

Only the most ignorant among us can’t see that something big needs to happen in terms of copyright and ownership rights. Whether it be music, movies, or video games, the Internet has opened up a new market which needs to have its potential tapped rather than impeded at every turn.

The record companies and movie studios have had since the emergence and eventual shutdown of Napster to realize the writing is on the wall. But rather than accept the inevitability of the need for change, and embracing the Web as a means of distribution, they’re hanging on to their dying business model by their fingertips.

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Web Video is growing at a phenomenal rate, but there’s still one major problem to solve before the networks truly embrace and the whole venture becomes mainstream – money. Is doubling the amount of online video adverts the way to get past this issue?

Web Video Advertising

At the moment, most video-sharing sites will either have little to no advertising or a small amount of text-based adverts. The more professional outfits, namely Hulu, TV.com, and the individual network sites, tend to have single sponsors for each show, and one advert per break in the video.

This format is seen as a healthy compromise, allowing the companies involved to pay their bills but not annoying viewers to the point at which they give up watching. But some companies think they can now push that compromise slightly more.

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The Internet is becoming an increasing presence in terms of delivering high quality, premium content via subscription services. So much so that streaming is starting to eat into sales of physical media. And a new venture from major movie studios looks set to continue that trend.

I’ve written before how Web video is moving away from being amateur hour and into the realms of professional content produced in high quality. This is true of YouTube, with people like ‘Fred’ producing comedy skits, and it’s true of premium services such as Netflix.

Netflix Streaming Vs. DVD Rentals

Netflix started as a DVD by-post rental service, offering a flat-rate fee for customers to rent as many movies as they want in a month. This is still the company’s main source of revenue and a huge part of its business. However, Netflix now also offers streaming movies over the Internet.

Since the beginning of 2008, the majority of Netflix owners have had unlimited access to the ‘Watch Now’ feature. This enables them to watch as much streaming content as they like without paying any extra subscription fees over what they already are.

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With the news that the Pope is the latest world figure to obtain an official presence on YouTube, is it safe to assume that the great and good are realizing how powerful online video is as a medium of reaching out?

On The Map

YouTube began as a means of ordinary people such as you and I being able to upload personal clips or to share with a bigger audience. It was like one of those awful home video clip shows just without the cash reward or guarantee of fame.

But more recently, since Google acquired YouTube and the site exploded in terms of traffic, the trend has changed. Now, you’re just as likely to see professional clips on YouTube, produced specifically to make advertising money or to grow a brand, as you are to see some clip of a guy falling over.

And with that move to the professional, world leaders, and governments, and religious figures have seen how useful a tool YouTube, and online video as a whole, can be. It enables them to reach out and keep their followers up to date with news in an easy and efficient manner.

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Online viewing figures for Obama’s inauguration are looking very impressive. But really, viewing figures take a back seat to the empowerment provided by the existence of Web video to stream this event in the first place. And here’s why.

Biggest Online Video Event?

The day before Barack Obama’s Presidential inauguration, I speculated that the event would be the biggest online video event ever. And there is strong evidence to suggest this did indeed turn out to be the case.

NewTeeVee suggests that Web video viewing figures were in the order of 70 million views.

This figure only includes the main U.S based live broadcasters. If we were to include worldwide viewers and also incorporate those who watched the recordings on YouTube and other video sharing sites, it would almost certainly exceed 200 million worldwide online viewers. A figure predicted by Chris Tew, webtvwire.com founder, before the Inauguration took place.

This compares to traditional television viewing figures in the U.S. of around the 40 million mark. But actually, the viewing figures aren’t all that important.

What is important instead is the choice online video gave to people all over the world. No longer does everyone have to be glued to their television sets in order to witness history – those key events are now accessible everywhere.

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I’m fully of the opinion that new media needs to be embraced rather than strangled. This goes for the movie industry, the television industry, print, music, you name it and new models are surfacing which could leave the old guard high and dry. At least if they choose to fight rather than fold.

Everyone remembers Metallica’s stance against Napster, a stance which cost the group many long-standing fans. It also didn’t do a thing to solve the underlying problem of music piracy, just shunting it the the fringes rather than right there in front of the music industry’s face waiting to be used for it benefit.

Embrace Or Die

Online video has garnered a similar reaction from the traditional content creators who want to maintain their monopolies. Which is why Viacom sued Google for $1 billion rather than working with the company to reach a mutually beneficial compromise.

But not everyone is so anti-new media, and it’s these people fighting to embrace the technology and evolving marketplace that look set to benefit the most. Step forward the Monty Python team, those crazy kids (who are now in their sixties) who made the Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV show, and a few very successful but controversial films.

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Grey’s Anatomy Synopsis

Greys Anatomy is an American Golden Globe-winning medical drama that revolves around the life of Dr. Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo)- one of the first-year surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital in Washington.

Meredith, who is always desperately trying to live up to her legendary surgeon mother’s reputation, must stand out amongst her fellow interns Isobel “Izzie” Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O’Malley (T.R. Knight), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers).

Grey’s Anatomy first aired in March of 2005 on ABC and is currently on it’s 5th season. The show has continued to be one of the 10 most popular shows in the United States with an average of over 17.6 million viewers per season.

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