Boneheaded YouTube takedown by BBC

2009-07-02

Dontcha just hate it when the right ear has no idea what the left hallux is doing? I've heard plenty of gripes about stupid and incorrect YouTube takedowns. Well, I'd love to see an explanation for this one: post-drum 'n' bass band (they're just that awesome) Pendulum uploaded a video of themselves playing live on their own, official channel. I might even add that it included a mighty fine cover of Calvin Harris' "I'm Not Alone". I shared the link on Twitter, but when I checked later today, it said:

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by British Broadcasting Corporation.

WUT? You'd think there'd be some communication here, like whoever at the BBC was responsible for footage getting in touch with Pendulum's reps. But since that wasn't the case, people like me get to blog about it. What compounds the absurdity further is audio-only versions of the same Glastonbury '09 performance are still up, like:

Hope the whole recording will be back on YouTube, since apparently, it's only available to UK viewers on the BBC site (I've never liked region-specific lockdowns, confusing as heck) — such an exciting live show.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

neuro 2009-07-03 at 7:42 PM UTC

Hey Torley, sadly not that boneheaded, just business. The BBC will probably have live and time limited replay rights to that content. That it's up on YouTube thanks to the artist themselves may not matter if they simply pulled the video as aired rather than using video created using their own cameras. It's messy, yes, but that's what happens when you mix large media entities, large record labels and multiple content delivery systems :)

As for region-specific lockdowns wrt iPlayer and other BBC video, well, y'know, we've already paid for that via the television licence, and, um, you haven't :) Although in practice it's rights holders who have requested that content licensed to the BBC can only be aired/played to those able to receive the BBC's domestic broadcasts. The Beeb hate it just as much as the rest of us do, as those rights packages can exclude online delivery too, thus denying online catchup playback.

Torley 2009-07-09 at 10:26 PM UTC

@neuro Thanks for your ongoing astuteness — I'd love to know what Pendulum's reaction to this was. This is the first time I've been unable to view a video abroad, and now I understand what it's like for everyone internationally who can't see MTV online!

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