While YouTube users hope the now-Google-owned site will be able to preserve its sweet viral-topia through diplomacy, not all copyright holders are interested in sharing the bliss. The Associated Press reports that YouTube has deleted 29,549 videos at the request of the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers.
[Group official Fumiyuki] Asakura said the entertainment industry group may ask YouTube to introduce a preliminary screening process to prevent copyright clips from being posted.
Major American copyright holders, including three big record companies, have licensing deals with YouTube, but the influx from Japan's getting cut off? Translation: Look for more watered-down Top 40 music videos and fewer Japanese game shows, and just in general less of what makes YouTube amusing.