I just saw a piece in the New York Times about YouTube’s new approach to the problem of user-uploaded commercial content. Previously, copyright holders could use the site’s Video ID feature to scan for infringing content, and could then at their discretion issue DMCA takedown requests.

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VMG Racing dominated the OFFC over a rainy weekend, earning 2 wins in two days.

VMG Cinematic sponsored race driver Matt White reinforced his reputation in the A class as a rain master on Saturday, earning pole position and gaining 15 seconds on the second place car within the first lap.  By the time he was given the chequered flag, Matt had lapped all but seven cars. Sunday saw a somewhat drier repeat performance, with Matt again starting from pole and immediately distancing himself from the pack, leading the race from flag to flag.  With only 2 races left in the season, VMG Racing looks to clinch the OFFC Driver’s championship.  Way to go Matt!

With YouTube’s video annotations feature starting to get some momentum (see below for update), I thought it might be good to address the concept of interactive video. “Hypervideo” – the inclusion of dynamic hyperlinks into video on a time-dependant basis – isn’t particularly new. In early 2004, web ad technology company United Virtualities released their Shoshmosis engine, which placed a clickable Flash layer over streaming video. Before that, eline Technologies (now VideoClix) had a QuickTime-based solution complete with clickable objects that triggered contextual content alongside the playing video. But hypervideo has yet to penetrate into the online mainstream, and most web video experiences are still remarkably linear.

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Sometimes it’s better to avoid MTV. Promoting their new unpronounceable album “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust”, Sigur Rós’ video for Gobbledigook (NSFW… why do I find myself typing that so often?) isn’t the kind of thing the FCC smiles upon. I don’t think most people would find it offensive – far more disturbing things routinely make it onto afternoon television – but naked Scandanavians frolicking in a forest are more of an online-only thing. And while the Internet isn’t free from content censorship either (you won’t find this on YouTube), this is a nice way to take advantage of online freedom. It’s the kind of thing that otherwise would only find distribution on DVD or in a gallery, but can reach a much wider audience this way (and better serve its purpose as a promotional film).

-Nick