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YouTube Proxy > YouTube Banned > UK

In March 2009, YouTube placed restrictions on some content for UK visitors. After a dispute with the Performing Rights Society (PRS), YouTube placed restrictions on its premium video content from 3 major record labels and a number of independent record companies.

At the time, YouTube was paying a license to the PRS to show content from PRS members under the terms of an agreement that was put together in 2007. The agreement gave the PRS a share of any revenues acquired by YouTube, which it would distribute amongst its members. The problem for YouTube is that the PRS were asking for revenue shares more typical of mainstream media such as TV and radio, and internet revenues are notoriously less. YouTube even claimed that they were losing money every time a video was played! YouTube also complained of a lack of transparency on the part of the PRS, suggesting that they weren't being clear about which groups and acts would be covered by any new deal.

After protracted negotiations, YouTube suddenly banned thousands of affected videos from UK visitors.

Shortly after the ban, the PRS announced it was; "outraged.... shocked and disappointed by the decision" and asked YouTube to reconsider as a matter of urgency.

Another major player in music revenue in the UK, the Music Publishers Association sided with the PRS, urging Google to to re-consider, as did Lord Carter, Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting, who pointed out that the discussions were parter of a wider issue facing content producers and content aggregators in the new age of the Internet. With traditional revenues declining, both are increasingly looking to the other to make up any shortfalls via online windfalls that just aren't there.

After 6 months of restrictions on some UK content placed by YouTube, a licensing deal was eventually thrased out under terms that were reportedly more favourable to Google than they were to the musicians' umbrella body and normal service was resumed.

It's not clear whether using a proxy to view these UK videos would have allowed users to get around these restrictions. If UK users were blocked by IP then a proxy would have helped but if the restrictions were only placed on YouTube.co.uk then users would have been able to see their favourite bands via YouTube.com.

 

If you have any more information to share on the UK YouTube restrcitions, please feel free to contact us by email at marketing@tubeoxy.com.