Recent action by Universal Music against journalists from a popular technology podcast network hints at what the Internet might look like under SOPA/PIPA if the Motion Picture Association of America gets its way in Congress.

—Read more about Stop Online Piracy Act/Protect IP Act

“Tech News Today,” a daily video and audio podcast produced by the TWiT.TV network, had a recent edition pulled from YouTube over copyright claims made by Universal Music Group. Journalists on Tech News Today were reporting on Universal’s recent action to remove a video posted by Megaupload, a Hong Kong-based file sharing service.

YouTube, owned by Google, provides large music labels with the ability to identify infringing content in videos uploaded by users, and then to have those videos automatically removed without YouTube’s intervention. The label can choose to leave the video up and insert advertising into the infringing content (the revenue is shared between the label and YouTube), or they can remove the video entirely. YouTube does allow the user/uploader to appeal an automated identification, at which point the label needs to follow the formal process as outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Click here to read Lon’s report.

Lon Seidman is the host and producer of “Lon.TV,” a consumer technology video show that is on a number of platforms including YouTube and Amazon. He creates in-depth, consumer-friendly product reviews and commentary. His YouTube channel has over 300,000 subscribers and more than 100 million views.

In addition to being a full-time content creator, Lon is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford (his alma mater) where he teaches a course in entrepreneurial content creation.

Prior to becoming a full-time creator, Lon was a partner at The Safety Zone, his family’s business that manufactures gloves and safety equipment. The company has locations around the globe and employs over 200 people worldwide. The Safety Zone was acquired by the Genuine Parts Corporation in 2016.

Lon is also active in public service, serving as the Chairman of the Essex Board of Education, a member of the Region 4 Board of Education, and as the Secretary / Treasurer of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. He was endorsed by both Democrats and Republicans for his re-election in 2021.

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