Let’s make money, not war.

Part 1: Smart People

Read this: “I now pronounce you monetized: a YouTube video case study”

I assume by this point you have seen my high school classmate’s wedding video that spread from web success to news and talk show success recently. I blogged about how they missed the opportunity to monetize their video but it looks like the other people involved in creative aspects of the video did not. Direct from this article:

“…in the last week, searches for “Chris Brown Forever” on YouTube have skyrocketed, making it one of the most popular queries on the site. This traffic is also very engaged — the click-through rate (CTR) on the “JK Wedding Entrance” video is 2x the average of other Click-to-Buy overlays on the site. And this new found interest in downloading “Forever” goes beyond the viral video itself: “JK Wedding Entrance” also appears to have influenced the official “Forever” music video, which saw its Click-to-Buy CTR increase by 2.5x in the last week.

So, what does all of this mean? Despite compelling data and studies around consumer purchasing habits, many still question the promotional and bottom-line business value sites like YouTube provide artists. But in the last week, over a year after its release, Chris Brown’s “Forever” has again rocketed up the charts, reaching as high as #4 on the iTunes singles chart and #3 on Amazon’s best selling MP3 list.”

Allowing people to have a little freedom with intellectual content will result in revenue from a consumer who will come back for more.

Welcome to the always changing landscape of business and technology.

Part 2: Not Smart People

Now read this: “Court Awards RIAA, Labels $675,000 In Tenenbaum Case”

And read this as well: “Show Me the Money, Tenenbaum: Can the RIAA Collect?”

This is direct from the RIAA.com website’s “Who We Are” and “What We Do” sections:

“The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members’ creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.

In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conducts consumer, industry and technical research; and monitors and reviews state and federal laws, regulations and policies. The RIAA® also certifies Gold®, Platinum®, Multi-Platinum™, and Diamond sales awards, as well as Los Premios De Oro y Platino™, an award celebrating Latin music sales.”

Great, the people who sue consumers because they have stolen intellectual property from record labels. Since the RIAA’s “consumer” is the recording industry the direct result of these lawsuits means the consumer’s are happy. But, can the RIAA actually collect on these lawsuits? Are they increasing the decline in their client’s consumer sentiment? Are they making a last ditch effort to grab any cash they can before they are chased out of town? What is their long term business plan based on the ability for users to easily attain intellectual property?

Welcome to the end of an age.