kentishbloke's video: 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!