Time Warner to YouTube: We couldn't have you, so now we'll share you
Wow, who's a jealous suitor? One day after he said Google paid "a stunning price" for YouTube, one his company could not afford, Time Warner CEO/chairman Dick Parsons (pictured) told the UK Guardian that the company would pursue potential copyright infringement on Google's new property.
"We were going to pursue it anyway," Parsons said. "If you let one thing ignore your rights as an owner it makes it much more difficult to defend those rights when the next guy comes along."
Actually, copyright doesn't exactly work like that. And while Time Warner was doubtlessly pursuing infringement before YouTube became part of a juicy cash-rich megacorporation, Parsons damn well wasn't going to make this big a deal about it in the press.
Still, Time Warner will likely push for a legal agreement that allows its content on YouTube, rather than just suing like mad. Which, along with YouTube's many recent music and video distribution and infringement amnesty deals, means the startup has done what no one else could do: Get old media to embrace open content.
Google faces copyright fight over YouTube [Guardian]
Time Warner CEO: Google paid stunning YouTube price [Reuters]