8 Simple Rules Videos Are Gone

Over the past three weeks I could enjoy watching all episodes of 8 Simple Rules (For Dating My Teenage Daughter) on YouTube. I think this sitcom is the best “family sitcom” ever. The characters have a great chemistry, Amy Davidson is great playing her character and Kayley Cuoco is I-want-to-marry-her gorgeous.

But today, all of a sudden the videos disappeared. The YouTube user/member explains that the videos were deleted by YouTube administrators.

Sure, copyright laws are laws but there is one theory that I have about copying and other intellectual property law violation: those videos, books, CD’s, DVD’s etc. are viewed by people who would NOT get it elsewhere, so we can’t really say that the copyright owners are losing money! I, as a Czech guy, watch 8 Simple Rules in English on YouTube because there is NO chance I would get it here. Sure, it was aired on Czech TV Nova many years ago, but only one season, and it was stuck between two daytime soaps, around 2 p.m. when almost all potential viewers are at school. Where is the logic to that?

And so, I think YouTube SHOULD allow full episodes of TV shows being posted there. If it had an agreement with the TV networks about banner ads, or some kind of barter trades, it would work very well both ways…