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Monday, February 25, 2013

YouTube videos of NASCAR crash at Daytona raise ownership issue

NASCAR: Nothing to see here
Do you ever look at the back of your ticket stub or take a minute to consider broadcast rights before posting photos and/or video from a game you've attended?
NASCAR, to much scrutiny by media types, flagged a popular video of Saturday's crash at the end of the Nationwide Series race for copyright infringement, to which YouTube initially obliged, but later rebuked. NASCAR had been claiming the video constituted copyright infringement, but later said the move was made in attempt to protect the victims in the horrific crash. The merit of the complaint remains in debate, but begs the question — Where does a fan's ownership over photos and videos end?
Does a fan surrender its rights to any media the second a ticket is purchased? Where do you draw the line?
Professional leagues scramble to protect their lucrative broadcasting deals, ignoring the fact that most fans wouldn't record an entire game from the stands even if they could legally do so.
It's clear the Daytona video that drew NASCAR's ire isn't meant to be a reproduction of that day's broadcast. The impromptu video and subsequent coarse language add a human element to a tragic event.
It's also evident Fox was eager to avoid the Daytona crash, instead moving on to planned pre-race "coverage" Sunday afternoon.
It seems the Google-owned video platform made the right call this time and could serve as precedent in the future of fan-generated media during times of crisis.

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