Ustream Suspends use of DRM tool Vobile after Shutdown of Hugo Awards
Ustream had a bit of a issue this past weekend. On Sunday night, The Hugo Awards were streaming live on Ustream, but that came to a grining hult at around 7:43 p.m. Pacific time. The channel was automatically banned due to “copyright infringement.” This occurred because of the 3rd party automated infringement system that Ustream uses. Vobile is a system that rights holders upload their content for review on many video sites around the web.
On Ustreams offical Blog, Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable has published a blog post apologizing for the incident.
"I have suspended use of this third-party system until we are able to recalibrate the settings so that we can better balance the needs of broadcasters, viewers, and copyright holders. While we are committed to protecting copyright, we absolutely must ensure our amazing and democratizing platform allows legal broadcasters to Ustream their events and shows. This is our first and foremost obligation to our users and community. Additionally, we need to ensure fair use of copyright as permitted by the law."
It should be noted that not only did the Hugo Awards have explicit permission to broadcast the clips, but they would also likely be covered by fair use provisions in US copyright law.
