YouTube. GooTube. Lawsuit. What is the deal? Are the media companies really freaking out about copyright infringement or is all this court action just a bargaining tool? (Or is the term blackmail more appropriate?) Whatever it is, everyone just needs to shut up for a minute and think.

Getting a couple cents for a song in some high school kid’s schlock video isn’t worth the effort. Ripping clips of the Daily Show off YouTube and slapping them up on ComedyCentral.com isn’t going to save the day. The $400/hr lawyers and Harvard MBAs need to accept, embrace and exploit YouTube for what it is and what it can be.

What it is:
Advertising. Free Advertising. Advertising that’s welcomed, not shunned. Advertising that feels honest, not contrived. Advertising for their show, band, movie or product that exists and runs without them lifting a finger.

Here’s a scenario: Bob watches the Daily Show. Lewis Black does a bit that leaves Bob rolling on the floor. The next day, he asks Steve if he saw it. Steve doesn’t watch the Daily Show. Outraged and flabbergasted, Bob hops on YouTube, finds the clip and sends it to Steve. Steve loves it. He’s hooked. He forwards the clip to 3 friends and becomes a loyal viewer.

It’s not rocket science. Dealers have been doing for years. Give a little sample. Wet the appetite. Invite the friends.

What it can be:
The Holy Grail of sales. Forget advertising on YouTube. Forget licensing. What you need is a link to a retail outlet. Like that Mr. T video? Click to buy the first season of the A-Team. Like the song that the weird Lonelygirl15 Joey Potter wannabe is listening to? Click to buy the CD.

Like crack? You’re going to love heroin.

Morissa Cohen, Copywriter

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