By Maria Schneider

Content ID, YouTube’s digital fingerprinting technology, is under fire lately for very good reason.  Originally touted by YouTube as an effective method of blocking illegal uploads, Content ID was ostensibly the service’s way to protect copyright holders.  But Content ID quickly morphed into a self-serving massive moneymaker.  Their pitch goes something like this: “Hey, advertising is good for you.  Why not use Content ID to cash in on all the piracy by getting a share of revenue we can generate from ad placement?”  Well, they don’t call it piracy – but make no mistake, in the end, their whole scheme still depends on a culture of piracy.

Since the media presents YouTube’s misleading talking points without challenge, it’s up to us to expose what’s really going on.  There’s a lot to sift through when one digs deep, so bear with me.  In the end, ask yourself…