CIQ Headlines for March 14, 2007

CIQ Headlines

Viacom Sues Google over YouTube–(NYT) Asking for more that $1 billion in damages, the Viacom suit states that clips of its copyrighted content from the Simpsons to Jon Stewart have been viewed on YouTube more than 5 billion times. CIQ: Google continues to say that it is investigating filtering technology. While legal experts are “split,” it’s hard to imagine how this will turn out different from Napster unless Google & media companies take steps to work together.

Lack of Talent Slows Digital Revolution–(WSJ) A talent dearth is the single biggest problem facing Madison Avenue, says Rick Boyko, former creative head at Ogilvy and now university professor. He says the ad industry used to invest in educating itself– an era that is over. CIQ: We have to ask, if you were a young person, sparkling with drive and creativity, would you head to a traditional agency these days instead of, say, Google?

Ads Off the Rack–(Media Post) Spotzer is the newest entrant into a category that includes Pick-N-Click Ads, SpotRunner, and Cheap TV Spots. The idea is to provide a library of customizable, rentable B-roll. Fees come from both rental income and media placement. You can upload your own voice over. CIQ: Agencies may lose a significant part of the mid-market to this kind of action. These videos can be rented for under $1000. The next people to beware are studios.