YouTube推迟封杀未签约唱片公司

YouTube has postponed a controversial plan to block certain record labels from its video platform, following an outcry from the creative community and growing scrutiny from European regulators.

YouTube推迟了在其视频网站上封杀部分唱片公司的计划。此前，这一颇富争议的计划遭到了音乐产业的抗议，欧洲监管机构也表示将予以关注。

Two weeks ago, the Google-owned company warned that “in a matter of days” it would start taking down videos from a number of record labels that had refused to sign its new licensing terms.

两周前，YouTube向仍拒绝与它签订新授权协议的唱片公司发出警告，称将在“几天内”撤下来自这些公司的视频。

But the uproar that followed the revelations has prompted YouTube to make a last-minute U-turn. The world’s largest video streaming company is allowing more time to negotiate a solution with labels, although it still intends to block them if they cannot reach agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

然而，消息引发的抗议之声，促使YouTube在最后一刻改变了态度。据知情人士称，这家全球最大视频流媒体公司将留出更多时间，尝试与唱片公司商谈解决办法。不过，如果双方无法达成协议，YouTube仍计划封杀这些唱片公司。

YouTube has already sent letters to a number of record labels giving notice that their existing contracts will be terminated.

YouTube已向多家唱片公司致信，通知它们现有合约将终止。

The dispute over licensing terms comes as YouTube prepares to add a number of features to its platform, including a subscription-based music streaming service that would rival Spotify and Deezer.

在双方就授权条款产生分歧之际，YouTube计划在自己的平台上加入更多功能，包括基于订阅的音乐流媒体服务，以期与Spotify和Deezer抗衡。

In an interview with the Financial Times two weeks ago, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations, said that record labels representing 95 per cent of the music industry had signed up to its new terms.

在两周前接受英国《金融时报》采访时，YouTube内容及商业运营主管罗伯特•金奇尔(Robert Kyncl)曾表示，占音乐产业95%的唱片公司已与YouTube签署了新条款。

But he said the remainder would be blocked from the platform – meaning that the labels would lose the ability to generate revenue from the videos on their YouTube channels or to monetise their music elsewhere on the platform.

他表示，其余的唱片公司将被YouTube屏蔽。这意味着这些唱片公司将失去从YouTube视频创造收入的能力。

YouTube, which declined to comment on the latest developments, has said that it is offering all record labels a fair deal that is consistent with the terms of other streaming services.

YouTube拒绝就最新进展置评。该公司表示，向所有唱片公司提出的协议是一致和公平的，与其他流媒体服务供应商的条款一致。

Indie labels holding out for a better deal are understood to include XL Recordings, whose artists include Adele and The xx, and Domino, the label behind Arctic Monkeys.

据悉，一些独立唱片公司仍未与YouTube签署协议，是希望寻求对自身更好的条款。它们包括旗下拥有阿黛尔(Adele)和The xx等艺人的XL Recordings，以及北极猴子(Arctic Monkeys)幕后的唱片公司Domino。