You fail at copyright law

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

While browsing YouTube, I found a link to a video I might have been interested in seeing.

After clicking on the link, the video didn't play. Instead there was a screen saying essentially "YouTube pulled my video because of copyright issues, I reposted it here (website where video was reposted)."

Out of curiosity I went to the other site, and still couldn't get the video to play. The screen said the site needed to display ads to present content free of charge, so to see the video I'd have to disable my pop-up blocker.

Which I did, maybe stupidly, but no harm befell my computer anyway. Then before the video plays, it says I have to complete one of a choice of several "surveys" before seeing the video! That's when I decided "screw this," and hit the X in the corner of the screen to kill the window.

Which in turn flashed a pop-up saying "Wait! Don't go! Don't you want to complete one of our surveys and qualify for great free offers?" or some shit like that. These windows make me want to stab the programmer in the face. I wouldn't be closing out the window if I didn't want to.

My understanding of copyright law might not be all that great, but if you can't display content on a free-of-charge web page due to copyright issues, then what makes you think you can display that same content on a website where you're deriving revenue from ads and surveys?

[Eric the Grey]

It may not have really been the web site in question, but a flash ad instead. I've come across them, where they claim to be from the site, but aren't.

Then again, you never know these days....



Eric the Grey

[rvdammit]

Or maybe the video wasn't pulled at all, it's just a redirect to the revenue stream?

[Mikkel]

It's probably a scam, the surveys are there to get personal information out of you. I remember seeing warnings about it.

[draggar]

Or maybe the video wasn't pulled at all, it's just a redirect to the revenue stream?

I think this is the winner.

Make people think something cool is there, make them do a few surveys and offers, then show them the video.

Nice way to make some cash.

[persephone]

I think this is the winner.

Make people think something cool is there, make them do a few surveys and offers, then show them the video.

Nice way to make some cash.

Or, from what I've heard, don't actually have a video at all and just string people along with the "surveys and offers" til they get fed up. There's not actually anything to see.