Only a 'Moron' Would Buy YouTube 178
ColinPL writes to mention a News.com article about some harsh words from Mark Cuban, on the possible purchase of video-sharing site YouTube. According to Mr. Cuban only a 'moron' would buy the site, because of the obvious possibility of lawsuits over intellectual property. From the article: "Cuban, co-founder of HDNet and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, also said YouTube would eventually be 'sued into oblivion' because of copyright violations. 'They are just breaking the law,' Cuban told a group of advertisers in New York. 'The only reason it hasn't been sued yet is because there is nobody with big money to sue ... There is a reason they haven't yet gone public, they haven't sold. It's because they are going to be toasted,'"
Not to mention... (Score:5, Insightful)
Damn.. (Score:1, Insightful)
risk taking (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyone suing U-Tube would be taking the risk of losing the lawsuit and setting a precident.
Re:Not to mention... (Score:4, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes and no. (Score:2, Insightful)
On the other, you've got examples like paypal.com - they've basically been enronning their ways around banking laws for years and no one has sued them to oblivion for not having a license, stealing money, etc.
Re:Mr. Cuban (Score:3, Insightful)
Not quite sure why Youtube is allowed to exist, when anyone else that sets up something similar would just get shutdown. It's very strange.
I could see an online video cartel (Score:2, Insightful)
He's just jealous... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Yes and no. (Score:5, Insightful)
OB Simpsons quote (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:DMCA to the rescue (Score:2, Insightful)
$1.5b too low. One Word: (Score:5, Insightful)
Commercials.
As soon as YouTube places commercials in front of their vids, even if they cookie them to just 1 per hour per viewer, the money will be flooding in.
Here's why: YouTube's content review and tagging system for searches, plus their popularity and "stars" rating systems are perfect metadata for targeted ads. Not "somewhat fuzzily targeted" based on collected trends but directly. That car. That skateboard. THAT song. Learn THAT trick. Go to THAT place. All for sale "HERE".
People won't stand for too many, but tuned right the loss of viewers from annoyance versus the revenue from commercials' simple brainwashing techniques (think of commercials as competing social memes) will balance.
You avoided being a con-artist - good for you (Score:2, Insightful)
Broadcast.com was just that, a scam. I remember the Cuban road-show where he and Mary Meeker (who was an equity advisor at Morgan Stanley) both tried to pitch the sale of Broadcast.com. Not only was the presentation full of exaggerations and outright lies, Marky Meeker was grossly breaking the law and directly working for Morgan's IBanking side as an equity analyst (Equity analysts are supposed to have a "chinese-wall" in place where they can't work on IBanking relationships).
Cuban is rich, and you (probably) aren't. Cuban made his money as a despicable liar, side by side with a professional con-artist -- you have a chance to do otherwise and don't have to live down their deceitfulness.
Contrary to popular opinion, bags of money aren't so wonderful if you have trouble sleeping at night.
Re:You avoided being a con-artist - good for you (Score:2, Insightful)
business (Score:2, Insightful)
Look at this dudes idea about selling out. [reuters.com] Sometimes it is better to just do what you are doing at the level you are doing it at and be happy! Companies that get that "must keep growing faster and faster or we fail it!" are not the ultimate. They are just one type of business mindset, no law says you have to emulate them.
Re:You avoided being a con-artist - good for you (Score:3, Insightful)