World Cup videos banned from YouTube

By Will last year, at the end of March Leave a comment on this post

The ICC have ordered YouTube, the video sharing website owned by Google, to remove all footage of the World Cup. ICC Development and Global Cricket Corporation are claiming copyright infringement, although just what constitutes an infringement isn’t clear.

Presumably, no one can film their own clips at the grounds and share them with friends and family, which is a fair sad state of affairs. Also, has there ever been a more sinister sounding organisation than Global Cricket Corporation?

Tags: 2007-world-cup, cricket-videos, global-cricket-corporation, ICC, youtube |

Comments to “World Cup videos banned from YouTube” Jess wrote:
March 24th, 2007 at 2.35 pm

They’ll have their work cut out. Plus I think that you could make a pretty good legal argument against copyright infringement - it’s an extremely murky area.

Matt Thornton (Six and Out) wrote:
March 24th, 2007 at 8.13 pm

Can they even do that? If people are posting footage that they’ve screen captured off of e.g., Sky Sports then fine (but even in that eventuality it would be Sky Sports responsibility not the ICC), but footage captured on a personal video cam is fair game…

Do you wonder if the “head” of Global Cricket Corporation sits in a long dark room in a big leather chair with some sort of feline on his lap in front of a wall of screens laughing manically, mwahahahaha-stylee…

David Hinchliffe - Cricket Fitness, Coaching and Tips wrote:
March 24th, 2007 at 9.10 pm

We wouldn’t want anyone watching cricket unless they have paid through the nose for it right?

The game might be in danger of becoming popular.

Tom wrote:
March 24th, 2007 at 11.18 pm

How archiac.

Internet is one of the main forms of communication, and if you want cricket to grow, highlights of the game on a free video sharing site like Youtube promotes the game in all its glory.

Trust the ICC or CGC to attempt to shut down anything without several levels of approval.

Hammy wrote:
March 25th, 2007 at 12.40 am

I can’t see how people videoing a public fixture by themselves infringes copyright. I’m aware that making your own video at a concert is considered to be bootleg but surely it is your own experience. I think those in charge of cricket are going too far. Yes, video taken from TV or news services is copyright but the world would be a poorer place if it were not for that. This copyright business will come to a head one day and it won’t be pleasant.

Alan R wrote:
March 26th, 2007 at 5.50 am

Unfortunately Hammy is wrong. The ICC has the law on their side, which is unfortunate for the sport of cricket.

From a legal perspective filming a cricket match is no different than filming a Broadway play or even a movie. There’s nothing public about an event for which you have to buy a ticket. I’m sure that on the back of the tickets there’s a message explaining that filming is prohibited (some sporting events even prohibit all non-press photography, just to cover themselves in case…). Anyway, how could they sell exclusive broadcast rights to an event if they allow anyone to publish their own video of it?

Here in France I’m unable to get any live coverage of any kind (even internet radio) because of ICC policies. I couldn’t even get to see it in English pubs with Sky Sports subscriptions here this weekend because all the British Isles teams were playing Euro qualifier matches. I can’t see how this is a good business practice for the long term, but the ICC has for a while favored short-term cash-enhancing moves over spreading the sport.

The ICC may begin to reap what it has sown over the next few weeks. With the elimination of India and Pakistan, they’ve lost most of their fans for this World Cup.

Allan wrote:
March 26th, 2007 at 10.31 pm

This isnt a big suprise to me. Last week many popular cricketing site such as criki.com, ICF, CVU, cricketvids ended up deleting youtube clips on thier site due to some copyright violation

Hammy wrote:
March 26th, 2007 at 11.18 pm

Alan R,

I think you may have something there. It isn’t a public event if you have to buy a ticket and I’ve heard of all non-press footage being banned at cricket matches before. A rather unfortunate way to be, if you ask me. I don’t like the way things are going but I do agree with maintains one’s copyright. How do we get a nice balance?

Hanekom, J wrote:
March 28th, 2007 at 3.03 pm

A sad day indeed. when the organization that tries to promote the sport actually prohibits the growth of the sport. Politics before sport does not work, this has been proven over and over again.

cricket fan wrote:
March 30th, 2007 at 1.22 am

Im afraid the match fixing is brushed under the carpet in the ICC because they dont want to lose the Asian money. BIG mistake.
They are run by greed these days, and they don’t want it exposed on You Tube

Nagkuldeep B.V. wrote:
April 5th, 2007 at 3.55 pm

As far as I am concerned, the ICC can dig a 10-feet deep hole in the ground and bury themselves. It is a shame that they talk about copyright infringement and such things here. By allowing YouTube to provide exclusive videos of the World Cup, Gibbs’ half a dozen sixes and Malinga’s heroics to name two, i do not see what is going to ‘befall’ the ICC.
By allowing YouTube to broadcast the videos, they are only obtaining another channel for promoting the event that has already seen a slight drop in following thanks to the early exit of India and Pakistan, the slightly one-sided matches, fairly predictable outcomes owing to the presence of Ireland and Bangladesh and the rain.

And about people not being allowed to film their own clips at the grounds and share them with family and friends, it is even more unfortunate as this results in the loss of the meaning of sports and entertainment in essence. Cricket and other sports would be such a bore to watch without fans, crowd and the enthusiastic involvement of people. And this most certainly includes fans involving themselves by taking videos and snaps.

Ultimately, it beats me what the ICC, ICC Development and Global Cricket Corporation are trying to prove here or what they are trying to ‘protect’. I guess probably, in their eyes, the grounds in the West Indies are The Pentagon, The Whitehouse, The Scotland Yard and probably the secret meeting place of the ‘Illuminati’ and videos taken by fans and those broadcasted on YouTube would
pose security problems if they fall in the hands of Lashkar-e-Toiba or any other terrorist organization.

In response to Alan who said ‘Anyway, how could they sell exclusive broadcast rights to an event if they allow anyone to publish their own video of it?’,
YouTube and videos taken by the public are not videos of the entire match. And they are not being broadcasted on any TV channel ‘Live’. Short clips are in no way going to harm the interests of the ICC and the exclusive broadcasting right of the event. Moreover the videos put up on YouTube are after the end of the match and that would in no way interfere with public TV viewing as during the match, TV is probably the only source along with the Internet.

FINALLY, TO ALL THE CRICKET FANS:
MY SINCEREST OF CONDOLENCES!!!!

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World Cup videos banned from YouTube