Can this actually be classed as news? Let’s face it, Viacom was always going to appeal the decision in the YouTube copyright infringement lawsuit which ended in June. Because it lost. And that’s not right, surely.

A Brief History Lesson

Viacom first realized it had a serious problem with YouTube in 2005, even before Google acquired the site for $1.65 billion. But it didn’t take serious action until that deal went through.

In March 2007, Viacom launched a lawsuit worth $1 billion, with this incredible figure arrived at due to the 63,000 alleged instances of copyright infringement.

It then took three years for the two sides to build their cases, with everything coming to a head in June of this year when Google’s motion for summary judgment in its favor was granted.

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Big changes afoot at YouTube with the upload limit being increased from 10 to 15 minutes. This has been made possible due to YouTube’s confidence in its Content ID system controlling the flow of copyrighted content.

YouTube Upload Limits

When YouTube first launched there were no upload limits, with videos of all sizes and lengths allowed on to the site. Then again, this was at the time when YouTube was a lawless Wild West-type place, before Google acquired the site and set about cleaning it up.

A 10-minute upload limit was introduced quickly when YouTube realized it meant full movies and TV shows were being posted. Some people, the clever ones, got around the limit by splitting videos into multiple 10-minute clips.

YouTube then put a Content ID system in place which recognizes the fingerprints of copyrighted material and flags it immediately.

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YouTube and Vevo are seemingly intent on carving out a competitive niche in the music sector. And the partners are not content on music videos, now turning their attention to live streaming with a great series of concerts.

The five artists being featured include Arcade Fire, John Legend, and The Roots, with more possibly being added as time goes by.

YouTube Live Streaming

YouTube’s core business isn’t live streaming. It’s mostly left that to the likes of Ustream, Livestream, and Justin.tv. However, things are slowly changing.

YouTube has streamed a few events live in the past couple of years. A U2 concert in Pasadena gained 10 million viewers, and political speeches and debates have also proved popular.

The streaming of all 60 matches of the Indian Premier League tournament in the space of 45 days then indicated YouTube was upping its game in this department. And so has proved to the case.

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YouTube is moving away from its rather lawless, rather disorganized past at a rate of knots. The latest step on this evolutionary ladder is a ‘Music’ hub to sit alongside the previously-launched ‘Movies’ and ‘Shows’ hubs.

Organized YouTube

YouTube is rapidly changing the site so that it’s less about the sporadic, unfocused occasional video viewing and more about the consistent, organized viewing of content.

The UGC is still there in spades, obviously, but theres also more professional content than ever before. And this is being channeled in order to improve the way we use the site.

YouTube also does well from this change, with people more likely to watch more videos for longer thanks to the randomness of the site being superseded by organized and focused hubs.

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My memory of Old Spice is of a disgusting-smelling men’s aftershave mainly used by old men. However, thanks to what is being described as the best advertising campaign ever conceived by some has managed to bring Old Spice bang up-to-date.

And it would have been impossible without YouTube.

Viral Advertising

Advertisers have realized the power of the Web in recent years. And many have sought to use it to get brands and products talked about all across the Internet. Online video is a great way of doing this, with a viral video able to generate copious amounts of publicity.

Most viral video ad campaigns have tried to be sly about the whole thing – with a video that could be real and spontaneous actually advertising something. But Old Spice and the advertising team behind its promotion have now moved the goalposts significantly.

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Susan Boyle, who gained worldwide fame via YouTube, has launched a search for a singing star to duet with on her new album. And she’s chosen the Google-owned site to do so.

YouTube Fame-Making

YouTube has been responsible for making many stars of ordinary people in the five years since it launched. One of those stars is now giving something back, using YouTube as the means to find a new singing sensation.

Some videos have gone viral to such a ubiquitous degree that the people in them have become household names. I’m thinking Judson Laipply with his Evolution Of Dance, David After Dentist, and the JK Wedding Dance.

Then there are the two filmmakers found via YouTube, make-up artist Lauren Luke, Greyson Chance, and Lucas Cruikshank thanks to his alter-ego Fred. And then there is Susan Boyle, possibly the biggest YouTube video star of all time.

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YouTube’s content creators are about to get an injection of cash, with a $5 million fund having been set aside for the best independent video makers.

Assuming the money is allocated and spent wisely then this could see some brilliant new video content created.

YouTube Content Creators

While the mainstay of YouTube’s output is, always has been, and likely always will be short user-generated content of random happenings such as animals doing funny things and people injuring themselves in a multitude of ways, there is also original content created specifically for the Google-owned site.

YouTube now boasts 10,000 partners, people or companies with a two-way relationship with the company meaning both profit from the output of the site.

And up to 100 of the independent filmmakers amongst these partners are about to get a financial boost designed to help them create better content.

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