Megaupload Sues Universal Over "The Mega Song"
Megaupload plans to sue Universal Music Group over the takedown of its viral video, "The Mega Song."
File hosting site Megaupload has long been the target of RIAA and the MPAA. The two industry organizations claim that sites like Megaupload promote piracy because it easily allows users to upload and download illegal material.
So why is Megaupload the one suing Universal instead of the other way around? Megaupload has filed suit against Universal for its alleged misuse of YouTube's takedown procedures.
Megaupload created a new music video that starred multiple celebrities all professing their love for the file hosting site, including Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Brett Ratner, Alicia Keys, Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg, and Serena Williams to name a few. The song was produced by the file hosting site and contained all original materials. It was posted on YouTube.
Below is a copy of the song that was posted on another video site, Vimeo:
So it was strange when Megaupload received a takedown notice from YouTube. Apparently, Universal reported the song as infringing upon their copyright.
Megaupload says that it signed contracts with all the celebrities and recording artists that appeared in the video. It's unclear how -- or why -- Universal thought any of the material could have been under the purview of their copyrights.
Megaupload claims that it tried to reach out to Universal to resolve the issue, but CEO David Robb told TorrentFreak that they were met with "unfounded and baseless legal threats and demands for an apology."
It seems this was the final straw for for the company. Megaupload has not only sued Universal, but they are also now officially on the bandwagon against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), according to Venture Beat. As for "The Mega Song," it still lives, as you can see above. The video is still circulating the web on various mediums.
Related Resources:
- Kanye West, Chris Brown Promote Megaupload In Music Video(MTV)
- SOPA Copyright Bill Hearing Suggests Uphill Battle for Critics (FindLaw's Technologist)
- U.S. Govt. Ranks First in Google Takedown Requests (FindLaw's Technologist)