Michael Fricklas

Viacom's Top Lawyer tells Beet.TV: Mash-up's Are Fine, But Copying is Not "Fair Use"


Viacom, one of the world's biggest media company, owner of MTV, Paramount Pictures, BET, Comedy Central and others, is ambitiously expanding its online video presence. Like this new effort with Yahoo!

Fortune magazine just published a story "Viacom's Plan to Be Cool Again."

If Viacom is cool, it's also tough when it comes to protecting its intellectual property. It has taken YouTube to task in a $1 billion lawsuit filed earlier this year.

Earlier today, I interviewed Viacom's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Michael Fricklas about copyright, technology and how he defines "fair use." He tells Beet.TV that while some mash-ups and parodies are fine, unauthorized copying and publicly sharing is not.

Fricklas will be a keynote speaker on Monday at The Deal's "Convergence" conference in Manhattan. Beet.TV will have coverage of the event including Edgar Bronfman, Jr.

Grab the embed of this video interview. It's fair use!

-- Andy Plesser

Disclosure: The Deal is a client of Plesser Holland public relations, the firm I head up with my good buddy Kent Holland.

Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Viacom
• YouTube
• fair
• use

[pogotard]

My 2 channels taken down recently by YouTube because of complaints from Viacom. Because of limited text space, I can't go into detail, but IMHO my videos were a mix of "fair use" and orginal. This guy is less than defininitive on this issue. He seems to be the ultimate corporate lawyer. 90% of my videos are STILL readily available on YouTube on other channels. He should be featured on "Dancing With the Stars." I wonder whether that's a Viacom show? I doubt that anyone will dance with him.

[Zodomir]

I wish I could spit his face and rip his Jaw!!!

[kn4ma1958]

Well I don't like the way he can't look at the interviewer in the eyes. I just thank he is full of bull. More money all they want and to grab you by the balls and squeeze harder for more.

[miamisurf]

wow that guy looks scary