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Uh oh: YouTube messes with Murdoch

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It emerged on 26 January that Rupert Murdoch’s Fox network has subpoenaed the online video service, YouTube, for personal details of a user who uploaded swathes of Fox content – some of which before it has even been broadcast.

‘ECOtotal’ made twelve Season Seven episodes of The Simpsons available, plus showings of another ratings hit, 24. In the latter case, four new episodes were previewed on YouTube before the official, 14 January season premiere on US TV. With its built-in reliance on audience anticipation, news of its advance debut would not have escaped the network’s attention for long.

Fox acted quickly, issuing its writ from a San Fransisco District Court on 18 January. While YouTube has declined to make a public statement about Fox’s request, current information on the site indicates that the ECOtotal user account has been suspended.

Media reaction to the story has yet to flourish, but some will see a clash between Murdoch and YouTube as an inevitability – if only for the market rivalry between the site and Murdoch’s recently acquired MySpace.

Last October, Douglas McIntyre – partner of Delaware financial analysis firm, 24/7 Wall St – wrote on AOL’s Financial News page: ‘MySpace has 20% of the streaming video market. Anything that damages YouTube may be to News Corp's advantage. However, there is another twist here, which is that MySpace may be subject to the same copyright infringement issues that YouTube is, complicating Mr Murdoch's position.’