Universal threatens MySpace, YouTube

The tireless campaign of the record companies - believed to involve suing everyone and everything before a target 2018 - finds some new targets, with Universal CEO Doug Morris wagging a finger at YouTube and MySpace. He's also reserving the right to have a go at anything that starts with "we", although he concedes that Ipod is currently "just on the right side."

In what seems to be a prelude to seeing if he can find any lawyers not already involved in suing the dead, children, the poor or misprints, Morris fumes:

Morris says that the label believes "these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars." [...] Morris said that the label has plans to deal with the popular web sites and their hosting of infringing videos.

Interestingly, YouTube are currently negotiating with the music industry to find a way to give them piles of cash, so it's possible this is just a clumsy bid to try and "negotiate."

Still, its not like failing to see any advantage in new distribution channels and reacting by issuing writs has ever harmed the music industry in the past, has it?

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