GooTube, a Trip to the Amazon and Wiener Dogs With Raincoats

Going back to our guest speaker, Siva Vaidhyanathan, and the Google/YouTube deal, I think I'm getting a little worried. It seems that even the infamous Mark Cuban is right on this one too. There's a few things that could happen now that Google bought YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars. I know it looks like Google/YouTube/GooTube comes out a winner in this, but I'm scared of what still might happen. If any of you have taken a basic law class in school, there's a wonderful and terrible thing called precedent. Now that YouTube has some deep pockets behind it, record labels are going to be itching to get their hands on it. And in comes precedent. Universal, Warner and the rest are sure file lawsuits against the small, copycat YouTubes that don't have the financial backing to put up a fight. And thus, the demise of the only thing that keeps YouTube running: the DMCA's "Safe Harbour" Act. With that precedent against the smaller, mimicking GooTubes, the record labels will bring the fight to the big leagues. With the leverage they now have, they'll rope Google into higher than anticipated licensing agreements or try to shut the down all together.

Maybe it's not as simple as that, but with the Google Library project and the recent acquisition of YouTube, it looks like it's starting to become Google vs. The Entertainment Industry. Personally, I'm rooting for Google, but I'm still worried. If Google loses this epic battle, there's no telling how the inter-nets might change. Not only that, but all of this legal stuff is going down in the Southern District of New York which seems to be favorable to anyone but the progressive copyright lobbyist.

In other news, Amazon.com is putting out a music download service. Another guest speaker we had, Scott Ambrose Reilly, Senior Manger of Digital Music at Amazon, told us a bit about it. Their aim is to take a bite out of the market that iTunes currently dominates. Looks like they might have a legit shot at doing so, because they may have an even larger catalog than iTunes and eMusic. The service is planned to launch in the first quarter of next year and I simply can't wait.

Since the birth of Amazon in 1995, they've been revolutionary in the online retail market. I love their low prices and cheap shipping. If they get a decent voice in the market, that mean that they'll be some stiff competition all around. Competition means lower prices and better service which is always a bonus for consumers. I love iTunes, but I don't want them to get complacent. There are certainly some things they can improve on.

On to a little different note: wiener dogs.

The other day, on my way home from class, I saw a man walking his wiener dog. Now, if you really know me, you know I'm biased towards dachshund. Back home in Wisconsin there's a little pooch named Gracie that always greets me with a wet tongue and a wagging tail (not to mention a weak bladder when she gets excited). But this night, it was raining and the dog was decked out in a yellow raincoat complete with a hood and leg holes. I'll be the first to admit it looked pretty cute, but don't you think that's a little ridiculous? Some people are a little too obsessed with their canines. But for your enjoyment, here's a picture I found on the inter-nets...

Fin