YouTube and The Ben Hogan Collection

In general I think that YouTube is a fantastic new piece of consumer technology that is both fun, educational, and entertaining. I have wondered through it many times, mostly to view various golf swings of great players, commercials, and bits from upcoming movies.

There has been a rash of users however that are careless in their use of this new medium by posting copyright material without the permission or even the knowledge of the copyright owner. I have contacted some individuals that posted portions of The Ben Hogan Collection 3 pack DVD production to request that they remove those postings. Some have and some have not. I am in the process of contacting some other individuals to do the same and hope for good compliance with my request. It is one thing to make a post like that of a small portion of a copyrighted production for informational and educational purposes but not at all legal or morally correct to post large segments or an entire work.

In some respects these postings provide what they call viral advertising for the works. That sometimes is very beneficial to a producer and the production company. Recouping production costs is important on large budget works. Obviously it is not beneficial when the whole work is free for the viewing. In fact, I have posted on YouTube the advertisements, 3 one minute video spots that used to appear on The Golf Channel and Fox Sports Net. I intend to post some additional snippets as well. Eventually, I would like to have most of the videos from the production on the website: www.BenHoganCollection.com for viewing and allow for sponsorship to help support the effort.

Other works showing videos of Ben Hogan are on YouTube inappropriately. There are several bits from In Pursuit of Perfection, The Golf Channel's work on Ben Hogan, and the Shell's Wonderful World of Golfs production of the match between Hogan and Snead. Hogan went on to win that match quite nicely. He just plain hit every green and every fairway in regulation. Why is it so impossible for the PGA Tour professionals to do that now. Aren't they bigger, stronger, better instructed, videod, and analyzed, armed with space age equipment, etc. Maybe just not enough dirt under their grooves.

So, wish me luck!