Head Tale

About a year ago, I got a “Claim of Copyright” notice for the montage video I made of photos around Pace's birth using the song “Tippy-Toeing”
by Loretta Lynne.  When I first read it, I thought the music label
(Universal) was saying they were going to take down the video unless I
could prove I had the rights to the song but on a second reading, I
realised it was basically them saying they were going to let the video
stand but they may at some point in the future, exercise their right to
do whatever they wanted with it – take it down, advertise on the
video's page, etc. 

I wasn't sure what to do – I thought about re-doing the video with a different song (or the same song but different photos ) but that would just be a ticking time bomb, waiting for another notice on a different song. 

So
instead, I just decided to leave well enough alone for the time being
to see if anything else happened.  Universal weren't being total jerks
and completely taking it down.  And as much as I'd like to think it was
a 50-50 deal (which it was in
terms of audio/video contribution and actually I'd done more by
actually doing the work to create the video), I have to admit that this
semi-obscure country song that apparently played a big part in many
people's childhoods is the reason that this video gets the third most hits of any video I've put on YouTube (Click “Sort By Views” to see them ranked – and FYI, number one = “Breastmilk Popsicles” – no idea why that is though! ) 

So
even though it's not necessarily 50-50 in terms of why this video
generates hits, you gotta wonder if the record company is missing the
point since obviously I'm also creating interest and generating traffic
for this song just by having it on YouTube – something they haven't
done themselves.  

Not everyone who hears it on my YouTube
video will buy it (though they may obtain it via file sharing – which I
hate to even term “illegally”)  but again, at least that record company
did let my video stand.  Apparently, not everyone is being even that progressive.

[Edit: Saw on Reddit that they've even muted the infamous Rick Astley “Rick Roll” video!  Where will the carnage stop?]]

I
did learn a lesson from this in the end – namely, not to identify the music
used in my clips making them harder to find.  Er, no I didn't – this one is labeled “Toddler 'Plays' Johnny B. Goode”…