Google has been put under immense pressure with the recent legal assaults brought upon Youtube for copyright infringement. But copyright is a complex issue that is very likely going to be reviewed over the next few years as publishers learn how to navigate the new terrain. When infringement happened in the past, (DVD / VHS) rip offs would compete with the originals and clearly rights holders lost out. However this has changed somewhat in recent times with the advent of online distribution where in many cases online rip offs are actually helping offline DVD sales.

To get a handle on this, I contacted Chris Everard of Enigma Tv the director of a controversial conspiracy documentary film 'Secret Space', who was once a very outspoken critique of online rip offs but who in recent times has somewhat changed his mind after seeing offline DVD sales actually increase as a result of being ripped off online by Google Video.

When I contacted him for comment he said that the tradeoff was a fair one, as the increased traffic from free online distribution by Google brought with it greater exposure which converts into 'more' paying customers for the DVD.

But what about when a publisher is not happy with having their content distributed on Google Video or Youtube free, sure Google will remove the content on receipt of a legal threat, but when they remove the content they make no apology and simply leave the offending page blank.

Is this enough?

Should Google and Youtube be forced instead to add a link to the contents official home (where legal copies can be purchased) and thereby referring potential customers back to the aggrieved party?

What is most interesting from all this however is that new business models are emerging that suggest that giving away content free can actually bring higher gains through sponsors / advertising and also increase DVD sales, which is in direct contrast to early predictions by rights holders who have long since feared the onset of online rip offs.