Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 17, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The NAB is far more than just a trade show; it is also an important conference. Of the many presentations and events, the so-called Super Sessions stand out through their particularly high-calibre speakers. In the Super Session “Innovator’s Spotlight View From The Top”, Google CEO Eric Schmidt commented on his company’s current acquisitions and explained how it is positioning itself in the media market.
Google has meanwhile entered the marketing of radio advertising on a larger scale, and the purchase of YouTube made waves months ago. Google has now bought the online advertising marketer DoubleClick for 3.1 billion US dollars (just under 2.3 billion euros). This also gives the search-engine giant a strong position in display advertising with images and videos. Eric Schmidt found it rather amusing that Microsoft, of all companies, now wants to call in the antitrust authorities against DoubleClick. But he acknowledged failings toward Viacom. Of the worldwide advertising market, which Schmidt estimates at a value of 700 to 1,000 billion US dollars, Google plans to secure a share of 1 to 2 percent.
On the highly topical subject of copyright, Schmidt held the view that Google could not be held liable for the uploading of copyright-protected material. However, Google would have to delete protected material as soon as it is recognised as such. For this, the company is working on a software solution that automatically detects such material and then deletes it directly. Schmidt assumes that the problem will thus be solved in a few months.
He also said in the Q&A round that even after content is uploaded to YouTube, the owner’s copyright remains intact and this material cannot simply be taken over. But he recommends that users publish their material themselves both on YouTube and on other video portals.
Asked about the relationship of YouTube and other video portals to the traditional broadcasters, Schmidt held the view that the various new technologies would coexist together and alongside one another. While broadcast would become increasingly better in quality through HD, the other forms should be used, for example, to pave fans a direct route to the object of their admiration: via the video, they find the corresponding website and then shop in the web shop. Or an excerpt from a film is distributed via the mobile phone, and if users like it, they send it on to their friends – and thus advertise the film themselves.
