where has all the talent gone?

what's happening to YouTube? Our once friendly meeting place is now a minefield of political bullshit run by corporation scared yes men.
Original and inventive artists like Stevie Riks are being kept down because they are covering songs owned by the real owners of YouTube. UMG and WMG. God help us should we inadvertantly use a snippet of a song by one of their artists.
Even playing or singing over backing tracks is risky because someone, somewhere feels they are being cheated out of a penny in royalty fees.
this is the beginning of the end for us small guys......MySpace here I come
The whole essence of what I do on YouTube is this :I love to SHARE and ENLIGHTEN people to the music I have enjoyed over the years. A bit like an UNPAID DJ If you like..I upload a song thinly disguised as a video for your enjoyment. You like what you hear and do your own research by looking up the artist in WILKIPEDIA which gives you information as to the artists history and availability of their music. You then, armed with this information go to AMAZON and purchase said music. No one get's ripped off, Everybody's happy....Apparently NOT!
I personally have had a large number of videos blocked recently, most frequently by UMG or WMG. These are two of the largest Music Corporations on the planet and control music from artistes of all genres. If you use a soundtrack or backing music by any of their artistes there is a high risk of your video being blocked, If not immediately,then shortly after. This includes songs by AC/DC and Led Zeppelin being used as backings for guitarists and other musicians and singers.
Please check via Wilkipedia before you upload your videos to whom the copyright belongs. Just enter the band name and you should be able to find out this information. Don't simply take a chance. remember timnlol's channel? there one day, gone the next.
Even older records which most people have forgotten are owned by someone. Make sure it's NOT one of the big guns.

I just recieved this information re the above. I will keep it's supplier annonymous for obvious reasons:

I'm writing to you today to try to explain what happened to Stevie:the latest kick in the backside he has unfairly received from Youtube. The latest hoopla is in regard to his video "Freddie Mercury and George Michael Do YMCA". Shortly after posting this video, Stevie once again started receiving
threatening notices from Youtube:accusations of him violating copyright law. Stevie immediately deleted the video, but Youtube continued on to ONCE AGAIN suspend his account!

I spoke at length with Stevie just prior to his latest suspension. I can't begin to tell you just how UPSET Stevie is with the whole matter! Stevie told me that he was seriously considering deleting ALL HIS MUSICAL PARODY VIDEOS, then Youtube suspended his account!

What I am encouraging ALL Youtube community members to do:

1. Contact GOOGLE-either by email or phone-and register a formal complaint.
Youtube was bought by Google, and Google accepts full responsibility for
any/all unfair treatment of /complaints by it's community members.
Attempts to contact Youtube directly will all be for naught:Youtube
sends ALL email complaints directly to their SPAM BOX. I know
this for a fact!

2.USA Youtube community members should draft a formal letter of complaint
in regard to Youtube (and other online video sites such as "LiveVideo", etc.)
harrassing it's community members unfairly by misrepresenting/misinterpreting
the 1976 Copyright Laws as approved by Congress. The late Frank Zappa
went on the record to complain that the law was written in such a vague manner so as to be
too open to personal interpretation, thereby opening up a potential can of worms.
Sadly, we are now seeing that dire warning come to fruition.

Like Zappa, USA Youtube community members might have to take the
drastic step of actually organizing a formal protest and taking it
directly to Congress! IT WORKED in averting the censorship of
the music business (THANK YOU, MR. ZAPPA), and it would in all likelihood work to
end the unfair harassment of Youtube community members like Mr. Riks.
The copyright law MUST BE RE-WRITTEN!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• stevie
• Riks

[stephen0002002]

DO NOT GIVE UP. You came a long way and put great enjoyment back into my life after years of depression. I'm sure this is the same for many ppl. For me your successfull just for that m8. I ask you to not give up tho. There must be another channel for your rare talents.

[kentishbloke]

Still live n Kicking on here and on blokebroadcasting :)) Thanks for your kind words. Stevie is going strong too

[Katmido302]

is there a way that Steve could do a channel for each of his impersonations...one for Beatles, one for Freddy, etc. and then we could see which one or which artist can call the problem.

[kentishbloke]

We found out that "YMCA by Village People" was the cause >

[brewdarrymore]

The voice of reason! And what a great voice too.Feel so sorry Stevie YouTube take him down like he didn't matter. Well he does matter as they will find out. How perverse that we can host his videos and the guy who created them can't. YouTube have fooked up massively. They don't want talent here they want a social networking site with the corperations providing the 'entertainment'. Stevies crime is hes too damn good and shows them all up. He deserves a break he doesn't deserve this shite.

[kentishbloke]

thankyou :)

[TheCarpCatcher]

Alright Ken

Just tuned in and well.....

I have never heard any of Stevie Riks work before however I am with you brother on all you say and feel.

It will change, they cannot have it all thier own way forever.

The record company's, agents, managers ect are all dinosaurs they are becoming extinct! soon they will be dust under our shoes.

REVOLUTION IS HERE AND THEY CANNOT STOP IT THERE DEMISE IS ENVITABLE.

MOWAHAHAHA

cor that feels better:)

[LefthandDavey]

I can't believe it!..........Stevie closed down again!.....One of the most entertaining guys on YT.

I want to make a point of saying that i was never into "Bowie" until i viewed Stevie's parodys....This led me to buy some original Bowie stuff ....thereby benefiting the music industry. So I dont see why the "big guns" act in this way. A bloody disgrace!.....With you 100% on this Tim..........Cheers.....Davey.

[jeffpace60]

My own Free Bird project is immune or virtually so because though it sounds uncannily like the entire 3-guitar army coming after you, it could still be proven in court of copyright law that it is my intellectual property even though I could not have done it without the original band's intellectual property!

Everybody else who's done a cover on here has required a background track or another guitarist. I require neither. The talent's still around. I feelya but keep pluggin'!

[Clobberbob55]

It's a damn shame.

I've heard, mimicry is the highest form of flattery.

If somebody covered one of my tunes, I'd be so jazzed and happy about it, I'd be beside myself.

[InuitAldebaran]

In the very, very, first frame you look a lot like the eagle from the Muppet-Show. If the CIA (Copyright Idiocy Agency) has bought that show, you might get in trouble.

But seriously, what I really did'nt want not to say maybe, I sent you in a video-answer.

Thanks for broadcasting, don't let them ground the eagle!

[PhuqueU]

Youtube was purchased by Google

Google start up money came form CIA

Reason for buying youtube? To silence the voice of the people.

They know you need only create a newtube,

so they are trying to kill the entire internet.

Gee, and I thought the CIA was out friend.

Their crack is the best.

[oisinboydisrandy]

ver very true:O

i never use backing tracks on my videos for fear of gettin my account deleted.

its totally corrupt.

music businness is just 1 big scam to rob u of ur freedom of gettin paid.

if u have time btw could u check out some of my videos?:)

[eviltube1111]

Youtube is horrible now. They sold out to Google.

[zacandtaylorrule]

So YMCA was the problem? That kind of explains everything. He used the original song in two videos. Damn those Village People. Yet another reason for me to hate disco.

[Babyhowdy233]

Warner Music Group Headquarters:

75 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10019

Tel: (212) 275-2000

I encourage everyone to call/write to WMG and let them know you ARE NOT AMUSED at the removal of music videos and suspension of essential artists and comedians' Youtube accounts-all in the name of copyright violation! This needs to STOP!