Google's New Scheme To Avoid Unlicensed Music

An anonymous reader writes "Complaints about copyright infringement on YouTube keep Google busy. If you have any doubts, just look at the Viacom copyright suit. But the problems aren't just about uploaded videos, but sometimes the music accompanying the videos. A patent application shows that Google has worked on a system to automatically identify infringing music by comparing a digital signature of a soundtrack to signatures of existing music. Users who upload videos could opt to completely remove the video, swap the soundtrack for something approved, or to mute the video. Of course, there doesn't seem to be a provision if you're using existing music with permission."

Comments

Re:Fair use?

[Anonymous Coward]

Really? I thought collages were fair use; how is it not fair use to combine music with an original video?

Sections of music, yes, not an entire song.

Work made for hire

[tepples]

My fiancée has had DMCA takedown notices from recording companies even after having express permission to use music on her blog from the artists themselves.

Whether those are valid depends on whether the artist had assigned the sound recording copyrights to the label in a contract. A composer or recording artist can't license rights that he had already sold to someone else.