Waterman’s SecondsOut.com joined the Rugby Football League, the Finnish Football League, the French Football League and the French Tennis Federation as well as several music associations, including the US National Music Publishers Association, in a legal fight to protect their content from exploitation on YouTube.
Robert Waterman, managing director of SecondsOut.com, says that smaller rights owners should not be deterred from taking action which may help determine the media rights landscape for years to come.
SecondsOut.com – through parent company Knockout Entertainment – is seeking to join the parties taking part in a Class Action against YouTube in the US courts.
They claim they are being damaged because content which they have paid to own, is being made available free on YouTube, seriously compromising their business model.
Robert Waterman said: "This is not about size but principle. As the diversity of parties in this action demonstrates, the damage inflicted by the illegal broadcast of content on YouTube is not restricted to major leagues such as the FA Premier League which is acting to safeguard its own position and that of its rights holding broadcasters around the world.
"I suggest that every sports rights owner or holder carefully examines the impact which the availability of content on YouTube is having on their business models and income streams now and assess what that damage may be in the future.
"The fact is that when content can be made available free of charge on a global basis, rights markets around the world are distorted or destroyed."
Secondout.com became aware of the problem earlier this year. Having acquired exclusive rights to cover a world heavyweight championship fight in many territories worldwide, its pay per view operation was compromised by round-by-round coverage from German broadcaster RTL posted on YouTube. Germany was one of the few territories to which SecondsOut.com was not the exclusive rights-holder.
"That experience taught us a lesson about the way that technology is changing the rights environment and we are happy to share our knowledge and experience with others copyright owners who find themselves similarly affected.
"The impact of social networking sites and the illegal copying and publication of content is one of the major issues facing sport today and it is in the interests of all rights owners to present a united front in the face of what amounts to a sustained attack on our businesses."
