Oh the AP.
WTNQ Radio in Tennessee embedded an Associated Press video on its website — from YouTube. Then a regional AP rep e-mailed the station demanding they take it down, saying it was a violation of the station’s license agreement. The AP also offered to sign the station up for some AP web services. So the station manager, who clearly actually knows how the Interwebs work… shot back:
How is it a violation of a license agreement if you are actively posting the video on YouTube—on a channel you specifically created to share content—with embed codes for people to post in their websites? Are you telling me that you put it there for people to use……but if they USE IT they’re violating your rights?
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The AP didn’t have any good answers. And as PaidContent points out the AP probably gets a cut of any revenue generated from the video on the website as part of YouTube’s partner program. And last time I checked you can disable the embed function on videos uploaded to YouTube if you so please.
UPDATE: The AP just sent me this statement:
There was a misunderstanding of YouTube usage when the Tennessee radio station was contacted by the Associated Press regarding the AP’s more extensive online video services. No cease and desist letter was drafted or sent by AP to the station at any time. The AP was trying to offer the station a superior service.