Vimeo reacts to user fears about copyright system

Following in the footsteps of YouTube, video hosting site Vimeo is to introduce a copyright-flagging system to highlight videos uploaded to its servers which use someone else’s copyright work (generally, music).

The idea is to ensure that no-one’s breaking the law and that copyright owners get fully accredited and paid for the use of their work.

Videos which match an audio “fingerprint” of copyright material will be highlighted to whoever uploaded them; that user then has the option of appealing against the claim by stating that the material is used with permission or under “fair use” provisions of copyright law, where such provisions exist.

Alternatively, Vimeo says users have the option to replace the video file, delete the video, or, in the case where a music match is detected, swap the audio with a track from the Vimeo Music Store.

The new scheme has caused something of an outcry both from users who simply perceive any form of copyright clampdown as wrong and from those who have been using Vimeo to upload temporary “proof” videos to clients – with music tracks on them for the client to decide which one they like.

Reacting to the furore, Vimeo now says “we’re going to work on changing the system to better support this. [Meanwhile] we are going to temporarily suspend Copyright Match scanning for private videos in Plus/PRO accounts.”

Get the full lowdown at http://vimeo.com/blog/post:626