November 3, 2006
After the Hype...A NY TImes Perspective on Google/YouTube

Today's New York Times edition of DealBook, edited by Andrew Ross Sorkin, features a look back at Google's purchase of YouTube after a little time has passed.

Considering our recent writing about the Comedy Central/YouTube controversy and the purging of Japanese content from the site, as well as Henry Jenkins' and Geoffrey Long's comments in Taking the You Out of YouTube?, I thought this business perspective was helpful in thinking about where Google's purchase stands. Was Microsoft's Steve Ballmer's ambivalence justified?

The article starts, "The giddiness surrounding Google's deal to buy YouTube has begun to die down, and some harsh realities seem to be setting in. One of the thorniest aspects of the acquisition -- copyright issues related to the millions of clips on YouTube's popular video-sharing service -- seems to be causing some angst at YouTube's soon-to-be-owner," quoting today's Financial Times as saying that Google is in "a frantic round of negotiations" with major companies to come to terms with these copyright issues.

Check out this article to see what some consider "the paper of record" is saying about the YouTube controversy.