A few posted vids of the SB performance had over 100,000 views and were getting amazing comments and now they have all been taken down with the following message:

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Publishing Group

It just strikes me as odd that P would not use the giant that is youtube to his credit. It is a great promotional tool. Legends like Dylan have instructed their lawyers to "lay off." I can see P wanting to protect his songs, but these vids are like commercials for people to buy his music. After the SNL performance - which many saw as Prince's comeback - the vids were taken down at a time 3121 needed all the help it could get in the charts.

My view on this is probably biased because I'm on youtube so much - so I was wondering what you all thought about this.

it's an outrage

Prince just doesn't like his image/music/videos being bootlegged - which is still what youtube is doing. I think it's a matter of controlling his empire - he wants to decide who sees/hears what or not. I think it is more a matter of principle - all or nothing, and he's chosen nothing. Someone should definately sit Prince down and explain the advantages of such things to him as free advertising.

On the other hand, it could just be over-zealous lawyers creating work for themselves without consulting Prince and he just lets them get on with it.

Funkmaster3000 said:

yes and the utube video quality was real shit too!!

i just downloaded the HD version from bit torrents that thing is incredible


but the video was posted back again real fast so ppl still watching it


The lead singer of the band foo fighters didnt see the SB but went to see the video on utube too!!

It is a shame because no one is making a profit off of posting it on a free site. I was working that day, so I wasn't able to see the superbowl, thankfully my husband taped it for me, but there were many other shows that I wasn't able to see that thanks to youtube I got to see. It ain't like Prince gonna come out with a video "Prince - the Jay Leno Appearances". Bootlegging songs for profit is one thing where I draw the line because it is taking money away from the establishment, going after fans putting videos of public performance on a free video site is another. After all people have to pay for cable, I feel it's my right to tape the shit. It's just that corporate control where it's all about controlling the masses.

Forever the rebel,

LQ

LadyQ said:

youtube pays all the big boys for content already!! maybe prince isnt impressed by the rate but i think universal has a deal with utube so does cbs but not mtv as yet.

I think we are talking 2 different things here.

Prince doesn't want anyone getting or using or enjoying his likeness for free, or at least without his permission. And if he doesn't have a finger in the pie, forget it.

Universal on the other hand...I don't know what claim they have over Superbowl Footage.

I do know that talks between Youtube/Google and Viacom (not sure if they are linked to Universal) fell through and Youtube was ordered to take down 100,000 videos this week.

yeah why not waste your money.

superspaceboy said:

Universal actually administer Prince's royalties collection. Since Youtube won't pay them royalties for playing his music via the videos, Universal insist on Youtube taking his videos down. When it is just Universal insisting the videos are taken down, that is the reason why.

It's a real shame I can't watch the SB performance anymore. Dayum

VenusBlingBling said:

go to housequake, i just saw it in widescreen, it was niiiiice

Because they don't follow the rules and they are thieves

Any of y'all ever have youtubes tied?

RegretablyI did.

Now I'm so universally against it.

VenusBlingBling said:

some of the torrent sites have it in high def

wlcm2thdwn said:

hater.

Illustrator said:

oh lord...help us. help us.

MajesticOne89 said:

I saw it too love Aarons wide screen video. www.housequake.com

There's more than just youtube out there y'know.

That's all I'm sayin'.

luv4u said:

in all fairness to well, ummmm...fairness? ( ) what youtube does isn't any different then housequake.


so, ummm...prince lawyers, justify the hypocrisy.


just saying...

doesurdaddycry said:

He's a control freak in a good way. He doesnt take bullshit, and he wont let anyone view his music for free, or where credit is deserve, I think its a good thing, especially since artist are ripped off so much!
[Edited 2/7/07 19:45pm]

It's all about the $$$$$

ya know Ive always wondered that...I wish the marketing people he hires would ACTUALLY give him sound business advice/consulting instead of just doing what "massa" Prince says when he could be ignoring awesome marketing opportunities. Im graduating college this may with a marketing degree and I have a small hope when i get to 3121, i'll give my resume/business degree and he'll hire me as a marketing intern (yeah very huge dream which won't ever happen prolly)

but lesser talented ANNOYING artists like Diddy use Youtube to market themselves and let fans see a personal side of them. It would be awesome if Prince put a more positive spin on this trend and had a video music journal of himself backstage, creating music, making deals, chilling, whatever...letting fans see what's truly behind the music instead of shutting down any and everything that shows fans what he's about....he's too old to be "mysterious" and now the next generation including me, the internet babies, thrive off of a constant flow of information about artists we are interested in.....heck maybe he could make his own youtube lol a "Princetube" and charge fans a small fee to get a blog/video journals/photos/concert and recording footage of his life past, present, and future events he's planning....it would be a very new and improved NPG CLub!!

luv4u said:

it looks he got his version fromt he same bit torrent as me!!

but streaming doesnt do justice to the performance

i converted into pda format now i can watch it anywhere i go

luv4u said:

Thanks

lonelygurl8305 said:

THAT'S FOOLISH

He isnt "ripped off". He is WASTING his money on lawyers who write stupid cease and desist letters for 600 bucks an hour, while the recording is already ALL OVER THE NET. And he is WASTING the new fans he got / can get from this performance by treating them as "thieves" for downloading a performance the entire world has already seen and for which he has already been paid big bucks.

Ask yourself, what GOOD can these actions POSSIBLY do him?


--
[Edited 2/8/07 5:22am]

Prince is a control-freak putz. The performance aired on network television for millions. Did he come to each of our houses and make sure we didn't have a tape in the VCR before playing? This is little different and no one is making money off of it. They're sharing the experience.

viewaskew said:

Youtube is making money off it - well they get money through advertising, and the advertising is seen by people visiting the site to see such videos. Universal (collecting performance money on behalf of Prince) want their cut, Youtube won't give it to them, so Youtube have to take the video down. It's not malicious, it's just business. Youtube has got away with it for a longtime, but is now finding it can't benefit off videos that other people have rights to, simple as that.

metalorange said:

Is prince/npg or universal owner of the coyright in this recorded live performance?

I really dont think so.

It's a shame that Prince doesn't understand that YouTube is the best thing to happen to the Internet in a long time.YouTube is giving fans what they really want.Go to any artist's official site and I guarantee that you won't find nearly as much cool stuff as you would on YouTube.Instead of fighting YouTube,artists should be embracing it....using it to their advantage.Everybody goes to YouTube these days,it's the best place on the net to promote yourself and your music! But once again,Prince is agaisnt something that could ultimately benefit him in the long run.

Why Universal is Retarded:


Do a google search with the word download and eventually you are going to find it. Someone else is just going to re-up it. and there isn't a damn thing Prince or Universal can do about it.

It's a lose/lose situation for all parties involved.


Update: All someone has to do is put "Prince Superbowl Halftime show torrent"


What the hell is the point? They can't stand people are watching it for free?
Get over it.
[Edited 2/8/07 7:15am]