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YouTube Pulls Copyright Reins, Competitors Do Same

You might have noticed that it's getting harder to view copyrighted material on YouTube these days. The video site is purging more TV shows and music videos that don't have any legal business being there. If your favorite files have been removed, they can be found elsewhere, namely DailyMotion.com.

DailyMotion is a Paris-based video site that mirrors YouTube. There is little, if any, regulation of copyrighted material, no limit to the length of clips (the limit on YouTube is 10 minutes), and no commercials. The site doesn't appear to have any source of revenue yet.

But what's the point? YouTube is a simple idea that provides a simple service and people love it. If YouTube becomes bogged down in struggles over copyright control and litigation, it's an idea that can be easily replicated. This is the danger that the user-generated video model represents, and if DailyMotion becomes a major player, then Google and media companies would have to deal with French and European Union law.

The tides are still a long way from changing: DailyMotion's video market share is just 0.22%, compared to YouTube's 65%, though it's share has increased 300% in the past three months, according to Hitwise. In September, comScore said DailyMotion had 7.6 million users.

Read the whole story at Forbes.com »

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