Remember the dispute between YouTube and the Performing Rights Society in the United Kingdom? The one that kept music off of YouTube in that country? If you don't, then you may not have read my previous posts on the topic - back on June 2, April 22, and March 10. Yes, the dispute has been going on that long.
Well, the dispute has been settled:
Google (GOOG) executives wouldn’t disclose how much they’re paying songwriters for the rights to play videos that feature their songs, but said they would be cutting PRS for Music a single check that covers the length of the deal. The new pact will extend through June 2012 and will retroactively stretch back to the beginning of this year.
The German dispute (see my April 2 post) isn't settled, but there's a glimmer of hope:
The deal may provide a blueprint for resolving a similar dispute between the video site and a German rights society.
Peter Kafka expressed no such hope for the Warner Brothers tussle (see my Feburary 7 post). But at least SOMETHING is moving forward.
