MySpace has announced it will make available free software tools to enable media companies to block the uploading of unauthorised video clips to the social networking site. The service extends a facility already offered to owners of music content.
MySpace have licensed technology from Californian based Audible Magic for the service. In theory the technology identifies the digital 'fingerprint' or 'audio signature' in an audio or video file as it is uploaded, and if the signature relates to a piece of content that has been 'blocked' by its owner then the software stops the file from appearing on the MySpace site. Content owners can file the 'digital fingerprints' of content they do not want to be uploaded with the social networking firm.
Confirming the expansion of the filtering service, MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe told reporters: "Video filtering is about protecting artists and the work they create".
A number of music and media companies are already reportedly making use of the filtering service, though to be honest I've never found anyone able to tell me how good this technology actually is in recognising and blocking copyright content. It's possibly brilliant for all I know - though it does sound a little too clever to actually work!
Either way, MySpace's use of the Audible Magic system seemingly puts them ahead of YouTube in the copyright protection space. A number of content owners who have reached past agreements with the video sharing service are now expressing concerns that YouTube is being too slow at introducing content filtering and tracking functionality, which was a key part of many of those agreements. YouTube bosses say they are still on track to deliver such systems, though they haven't given any clear timelines as to when they will go live.