[gigafemtonano]

I'm torn on this issue. If you watch the TED video referenced in the blog post, the YT representative speaks about the JK wedding video [1] as a vehicle for getting the Chris Brown song back onto the charts. She also points out that The Office "parodied" the video for their season finale. I'm seeing a bit of a disconnect here - it's as though she's making an argument to the studios and record labels: let users make use of your content and you'll get free ideas for TV shows and better sales of old songs. Aside from getting on talk shows and raising a small sum for charity, what did the wedding party receive for their creative efforts copied verbatim by The Office?

Perhaps an alternate strategy would be the following: a fixed dollar amount of revenue generated would go to the copyright owner to cover a licensing cost for the content in question, with any additional amount going to the creative individual(s) who in all likelihood have a fair use of the content in the first place. The YT rep speaks of culture and joy, but watching others benefit financially from one's creative efforts is the surest way to smother such expression.

[1] - http://www.jkweddingdance.com/