AfterDawn: News

YouTube ordered to pull popular guitar lessons

Google Inc.'s YouTube service has been told to remove over 100 videos from most popular guitar teacher on the site. In all, about 100 videos were removed at the request of a record company. Since the instructor used part of a Rolling Stones song in one of his videos, he was accused of copyright infringement. Two men are well known for their YouTube instruction videos for guitar playing.

David Taub, who lives in San Diego, is one of them. He has posted many instructional videos on YouTube, the most popular of which shows a simplified version of the Eagles classic, Hotel California. The video received over one hundred thousands views. He opens each video with the same line: "What's up, good people!".



Justin Sandercoe, is another London-based guitar instructor on YouTube. He has a teaching Web site — justinguitar.com. He takes Paypal donations to cover the fees and keeps the website as a free service. "I like the idea of being able to deliver quality guitar lessons to people who can't afford lessons, or who are in places where there's not that kind of access to somebody who can teach them the right stuff," he says.

Taub also has his own website, NextLevelGuitar.com. He first uploaded a clip to YouTube of him playing in the back yard and after forgetting about it for a while, realized it gathered 6,500 views on its own. He uses YouTube as a good way to send users to his own website. However, even though these videos are instructional and a fine example of a good way to use YouTube and similar services, warnings had been made about the possible copyright problems.

John Palfrey, executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School, warned that bo9th teachers had used copyrighted songs ion their videos and predicted some months ago that they would run into trouble. "There's a very strong argument that the re-use of well-known chords in the sequence the instructor played them would be a violation of the copyright," Palfrey said at the time.

Source:
NPR

Thanks to venomX05 for the News Submission.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Jul 2007 18:59

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• 26 comments

• dude845

  So, how gay is that, everything is about freaking money. Damn they had copywrited a song for learning rights, THE HORROR! I am sick of this kind of shit..

  8.7.2007 21:58 #1

• navi1199

  thats bull, i used to get most of my guitar lessons from youtube, some of the stuff there are actually better then the guitar lesson stuff you buy in stores.

  8.7.2007 22:14 #2

• duckNrun

  They better be scouring the local 'in person' teachers of all sorts of music. WHen I was a music student I was taught to play all sorts of copyrighted songs.. I think most music teachers DO this.
  
  Ah well... sue teaching music out business and see where the RIAA execs get their gravy train paycheck from in 10 years! PMSL

  8.7.2007 22:27 #3

• webe123

  Those idiots do not know when to leave something ALONE! Years ago,this was NEVER a problem...as I was taught MANY songs on the guitar by my music teacher that were copyrighted.
  
  I also own a lot of guitar tab books. Just WHERE exactly does the music industry think they get their talent from anyway? Do they think musicians are just BORN with all the talent they need? Everyone...no matter how good they become in the fuure... has to start SOMEPLACE!
  
  What if the next big guitarist was learning from one of those videos?
  
  I hope they suffer because of this,I know I am asking a lot, but mabye it is time they started to feel some backlash over the incredibly stupid things they are pulling out of desperation!

  8.7.2007 23:41 #4

• ZippyDSM

  and this is why 100 year copy rights are bad they will be dcking people over these ridiculous issues for decades to come.
  
  I could state why this should be ok but they are so screwed up whats the point,I mean tis like they want to tax music lessons because people might like their songs whats next a popular song tax to ensure money flows into the hands of its owners??

  9.7.2007 03:38 #5

• Dapsone

  This is plainly an example of how sad and empty the music industry is. Look no further for an example of how heartless and greedy these people are. I Encourage you all to continue pirating music; this is not about the musicians/artists; there are changes taking place already that are changing the marketplace which will continue to take care of them. But the EVIL music executives are running in fear because they see the writing on the wall.

  9.7.2007 04:00 #6

• ZippyDSM

  True boycott the system,thats what I say and do I buy used and only the things I must have new,I don't always have the newest games but sadly the newest games tend to suck or be under developed because they want moeny now and want finish them, I preview all the DVDs and movies online frist and then decide if they are worth any money to buy,the last few comic movies I saw where a joke Xmen:lets kill them all 3,Emo spidy 3 and host rider are fckign jokes watered down to market better to the masses and this leads to movies outright sucking music is the same its repacked and sol in the vain hopes it will keep them afloat...uhg...UHG!!!
  
  I guess media is not made for my consumption because I do not "exist" to the media industry it wont matter if I do not pay for what I like....

  9.7.2007 04:07 #7

• Phantom69

  does anyone else think that this is all starting to get a bit ridiculous. sue this sue that, remove this remove that, she doesnt know how to use a computer but we will still sue her, that guy hasnt got an internet connection but he still MUST have pirated something, these people are using copyrighted material legally (for educational use) but we mustnt allow it!!!
  
  GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
  
  i dont know how to vent my anger at the whole explosion of the law as mediation between companies/individuals.
  aghioasthapositywpeojcfaw98eyh23p89 9a8hva98syr59o28h35!!!!!!!!! :|

  9.7.2007 04:55 #8

• P51ride

  I don't play guitar but I like to hear the recordings of Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner, and Anita Cochran. As for the record companies I wouldn't urinate on them if their butt was on fire.

  9.7.2007 07:35 #9

• P51ride

  Double post deleted by user

  9.7.2007 07:35 #10

• mododaz

  If you say "shit™" i will now sue you because i have copyright'ed the word "shit™" if you say "shit™" prepare to pay
  
  
  
  yer thats what you will see soon

  9.7.2007 08:22 #11

• emugamer

  The artist probably couldn't give a dink about it. Someone is helping others play their song on a guitar. A song they probably either heard on the radio or own. And that person may even buy the song if he/she really likes it and wants to learn it. These laws are so lame. Maybe they will try to sue my guitar teacher for teaching me "Jane Says" back in 1991. He didn't know Janes Addiction, so I doubt he had their permission to play the chords in a sequence that ressembled the song. Soon there will be GPS tracking/recording devices embedded in all guitars, so that chord progressions can be linked to songs and people can be dragged out of their homes and beaten....with their own guitar.

  9.7.2007 08:22 #12

• DVDdoug

  Some of you are missing the point...
  
  It's not illegal to teach a song, or to play it privately The teacher may have PURCHASED a ligitmate* copy of the sheet music. He/she may require the student to purchase a ligitimate* copy. I'm not saying all music teachers do this... but it is possible to do it without violating copyrights.
  
  But, you need permission to perform the song publicly (or on the Net). Purchasing the sheet music or chord charts does not give you permission to perform the song publicly or to record & distribute it.
  
  A lot of "local" bands get a way with covering songs without having the rights. But when you post your act on the Net, or if you get popular in a big city, you are more likely to get into trouble.
  
  
  * Not all purchased music is ligimate. Wnen you buy a "Fake Book", the composer/copyright holder is not gettng paid. If the copyright holders were getting paid, the book would cost much more... perhaps a few-hundred or a few-thousand dollars.

  9.7.2007 09:23 #13

• DVDdoug

  Originally posted by mododaz:If you say "shit™" i will now sue you because i have copyright'ed the word "shit™" if you say "shit™" prepare to pay
  
  yer thats what you will see soonmododaz,
  Clearly, you have no understanding of copyright or trademark law.
  
  You cannot copyright a single word, or a common (or simple) sentence or sequence of words. If you write a uniquely creative poem you can copyright it. (And, you can claim copyright to your creative work without registering with the copyright office!)
  
  If you want to tradmark a word, you have to create your own word (or your own spelling), and it needs to represent you own unique brand of product or service. Some sort of "trade", business, or commerce, is generally required... If you are not actually making money from your trademark, you may loose your rights to it. (You do have to register with the tradmark office.)

  9.7.2007 09:51 #14

• emugamer

  My comment was meant to be sarcastic. Obviously there are laws and restrictions. My point was they are as stupid as the illustration I gave. I'm not missing the point. There is no point IMO. Being able to share and learn should be free. An artist should be flattered that people want to emulate him/her. I can see there being an issue if David Taub said he was Keith Richards and that "Satisfaction" was his song. Everyone knows whose song is being played. People think that every little thing they breathe is worth $$$.

  9.7.2007 09:52 #15

• tefarko

  this is getting ridiculous... it goes against common sense... soon people will be sued because they were whistling their fav song on the street... sheesh...

  9.7.2007 09:57 #16

• johnblaze

  That sucks, I learned to play a lot of songs from Justin's videos. What I don't understand though, is for some of his songs, he didn't play the exact notes, but notes that were close and easier to play for beginners, so is that copyright infringement?

  9.7.2007 11:05 #17

• Mik3h

  As a guitar palyer, this is not very good, but I know that there are many guitar lessons and many guitarists put up for free. And I thank them for this and I encourage them to do so. As it seems that many people are just greedy and will not allow this to happen even if it features a simple excerpt of a song. Disgraceful.

  9.7.2007 13:47 #18

• AXT

  are you fucking serious about this????? The music industry is going down the drain. They also want royalties from radio??? What's next??? They want royalties from artist's tours or else they won't sponsor them anymore???

  9.7.2007 15:15 #19

• tin23uk

  Originally posted by tefarko:this is getting ridiculous... it goes against common sense... soon people will be sued because they were whistling their fav song on the street... sheesh...i was just about to say the same thing. its coming lawsuits for whisteling in the street, singing in the showerif there is someone else in the house that can hear it (technically that is broadcasting copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner)
  
  this is getting fucking stupid now, and what the daft twats dont realise is that people are gonna be sued to a point where no one is gonna want to listen to their songs or watch their movies anymore, no profit = no product

  9.7.2007 21:33 #20

• frankacne

  First they copyright songs, next they copyright well known chord sequences, so whats next. Will they copyright C Major? No music lessons equals no new musicians equals no new records and eventually no Record companies and of course no RIAA. Hey maybe its not such a bad idea after all.

  12.7.2007 06:17 #21

• frankacne

  First they copyright songs, next they copyright well known chord sequences, so whats next. Will they copyright C Major? No music lessons equals no new musicians equals no new records and eventually no Record companies and of course no RIAA. Hey maybe its not such a bad idea after all.

  12.7.2007 06:17 #22

• mfstark

  Originally posted by dude845: So, how gay is that, everything is about freaking money. Damn they had copywrited a song for learning rights, THE HORROR! I am sick of this kind of shit..don't you mean "how *black* is that"? it's just as bad as using 'gay' pejoratively.

  12.7.2007 13:42 #23

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by dude845: So, how gay is that, everything is about freaking money. Damn they had copywrited a song for learning rights, THE HORROR! I am sick of this kind of shit..don't you mean "how *black* is that"? it's just as bad as using 'gay' pejoratively.I dunno black dose not work well in that way,however gay has been used as a slight diss since the 90's,hell event eh N word has been reclaimed and being re invented into something else by pop culture to.
  
  Although for me when I use "gay" its more "fruity" than a all out diss,if that makes any since.
  
  Vocabulary or wording changes a bit from decade to decade,I mean the word flaming even has a double or triple meaning now :X
  LOL

  12.7.2007 19:37 #24

• gmontalc

  This getting out of hand, it is like bunch of kids fighting for a piñata full of candy. where do you think Elvis Prestley, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and all, I said "all" Rock musicians learn from?, including all petty nobody music teachers?!. Well if is that so, all of the Rock Stars and Up-to-date Rock musicians have to pay to Little Richards, to Chuck Berry, to Jerry Lee Lewis and to all the originators of Rock and Roll Music. If you do not think so, then look to the "History of Rock And Roll". then will see who will get paid. that will be the day that Rock music dies. STOP THE NONSENCE !

  14.7.2007 13:14 #25

• borhan9

  Come off it people why does Youtube have to remove the video if some one wants to teach for free what is so wrong with that :)

  16.7.2007 03:52 #26