Opinion poll — Should YouTube supply the identity of ECOtotal?

analysis
Jan 26, 20072 mins

According to the story posted today by Forbes , News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox has subpoenaed YouTube to give up the real name of the person or persons known as ECOtotal who posted pirated clips of an unaired episode of the popular television show "24" The clips were taken down but New's Corp still wants the name[s] of the so-called perpetrator[s]. The question is what's right and what's wrong? While YouTube

According to the story posted today by Forbes , News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox has subpoenaed YouTube to give up the real name of the person or persons known as ECOtotal who posted pirated clips of an unaired episode of the popular television show “24”

The clips were taken down but New’s Corp still wants the name[s] of the so-called perpetrator[s].

The question is what’s right and what’s wrong?

While YouTube and the ‘net have always placed a high value on a certain anti-establishment chic, as a writer this issue hits very close to home.

If I were writing a novel and someone was able to obtain chapters and post them online before it was published I would be very upset.

So is this any different?

Would I want the identity of the person or persons who stole my book and uploaded it revealed so they couldn’t do it again?

Yes.

Would I want them to be prosecuted?

No.

Is this analogy appropriate?

I’m not sure. Certainly, television shows want publicity and it could be argued that “24” and other shows always air small clips ahead of time to entice the viewer. It’s called coming attractions in the movies.

Is this different? Well, certainly ECOtotal doesn’t own those clips but you have the last word.

Send in your comments on whether YouTube and its parent company, Google, should reveal the name of ECOtotal or not.