I am no fan of Viacom, but I love them today. They are suing Google and YouTube for copyright infringement…for one billion dollars. Billion…with a b.
I think this quote is dead-on accurate and important for all the creatives out there:
In a statement, Viacom lashed out at YouTube’s business practices, saying it has “built a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others’ creative works in order to enrich itself and its corporate parent Google.”
The only thing that would be more accurate would be if they had said how Google/YouTube exploit the creatives who make the content. It most assuredly is exploitation. No question.
Every time you have a client asking you to do it for free or for less, think about how they are making their money. What value does your work really hold? Is your creative product the content that drives the financial cycle for the company? Then it has got great value. Price accordingly.