Consumers have come to expect some form of commercial interruption when viewing digital video. That being said, several brands have gone well beyond the basic 15- and 30-second pre-rolls, gracefully packaging branded content for both television and the Web. When done well, this more-integrated content strategy earns brands the chance to participate in the viewing experience, rather than disrupt it.

There are many misconceptions about fair use. In this article, we will look at a handful of cases that can help content creators and rightsholders better understand the parameters of fair use

As we unwind 2012, there are three strata of video: YouTube, Big Media, and everyone else. "Everyone else" is being driven by intermediaries, be it ad networks or content networks, but also includes content creators. For all of the huffing and puffing about Big Media not publishing more video online, the reality is, these traditional businesses are doing better than ever. Yes, as former AOL and News Corp. exec Jon Miller says, audiences are fleeing online. But, you wouldn't know it if you looked at the companies' share prices: CBS stock being up 10x over the past five years, Disney …

As with most things digital, online video views are rising month over month. It's the classic hockey stick growth curve. In August 2012, 188 million U.S. Internet users watched 37.7 billion online content videos, according to comScore. This growth is driven by the fact that we are living in a multi-device, multiplatform world where consumers are watching video on phones, video game consoles with integrated video offerings, tablets, laptops, etc. Yet there still exists several licensing and distribution challenges that will need to be figured out by traditional content providers -- for example, Hollywood, television studios and cable/television networks -- …

When I headed up media planning and buying at BBDO Media in the 1990s and early 2000s for clients like Visa, Bayer, DuPont, FedEx and Charles Schwab, most plans were rooted in traditional media vehicles. I was ordained brand manager for almost any advertising product or service today, knowing how technology, content delivery and audience behavior have changed in the past five years, here's how I would use the power of T/V (Television/Video).

I love prediction articles: get them right, and you look like a psychic guru. Miss the mark, and nobody will remember them, anyway. So with nothing much to lose, here are my predictions for what the online video world can expect to see in the upcoming year:

After sitting on the sidelines for, well, a decade, Time Inc. is betting big on video by launching a digital video unit. Time Inc. isn't alone, of course: Conde Nast has hired aggressively in an attempt to find unlocked value in its print assets. Will the print guys actually have an easier time or more success than broadcast giants? Perhaps, because there is less cannibalism and more upside. But will the print companies' efforts work? Or is it too little too late?

With more than 100,000 hours of content being uploaded to YouTube every day, it's no secret that the competition is fierce for brands trying to get views and engagement for their videos. Many brands have tried creating an audience for their videos through TV buys, hoping that they'll have an easier time breaking through the clutter. Others have redirected budget away from display banners in favor of native ads and sponsored stories, hoping for higher-click through rates and engagement. But are these the best strategies or the smartest investments? Is there a better (and proven) way to help a video …

Before leaving for Italy on vacation this past summer, I loaded up my iPad and Kindle Fire with videos to watch while abroad. My media traveled with me. I didn't have to declare any of it at the border. It was convenient to have what I wanted to watch right there with me. Is this media pack-and-go the future or a continuation of the past? T

We all know that channels like Twitter and Facebook enable quick response and interaction between brands and their consumers. Today brands are finding ways to be charming, sarcastic, and irreverent; they're personalizing their communications, and successfully so. After all, when a company takes the time to write a response to someone's tweet or Facebook post, it can demonstrate the brand as having a personality - a critical feature of social channels. Yet as clever as these examples are, there are ways that we can go further. Today we're seeing the emergence of responsive video, broadening the channels in which brands …