If you run a social media service is it your job to prevent users from uploading content that is copyright?  We always assumed that it was.  Now what steps do we need to take to find copyright material?  We always assumed that we were required to use all reasonable methods to do so.  Periodically a copyright owner will contact us and request that a video or audio file be removed and of course we comply.  What if we decided that we were going to stop using ‘reasonable methods’ to remove copyright content, unless a copyright holder entered into an agreement with our company?  I suspect we would get sued.

Turns out that is exactly what Google is doing.  They wait for take down notices and then remove copyright material.  Google has filters that would prevent copyright material from appearing on YouTube and Google Video, but according the Mark Cuban and the WSJ: “Viacom spokesman Carl Folta also took issue with the idea that YouTube would only make filtering available to companies who make deals a la Warner Music.”

Sounds like having your cake and eating it to to me.   Do no evil?  Guess it is okay to ‘Not do no evil…’

We have been using wikis in our business as well as promoting the collaboration tool to our clients.  The Dallas Mavericks are experimenting with a public wiki for use by fans.  The Dallas Observer talked to Mark Cuban about the wiki,

But, then, that is the point. Team owner Mark Cuban tells Unfair Park that MavsWiki is intended “a way for fans to have more fun and connect closer to the Mavs” by posting their fond memories of games way past and recently present. Mavs staffers (meaning, interns) will augment the site with old game stories from the Associated Press and other media outlets. Cuban also says, “I think it’s a first of any kind”; certainly, no other pro sports team has a similar site…at the moment. 

Check it out here: Mavswiki.com.  The cost of deployment is very low compared with traditional fan sites, and it gives your brand a great opportunity to let your fans generate content.  It will be interesting to see if dedicated wikis (versus public wikis like Wikipedia) take off.  What do you think?