May 21, 2008

By By Steve McClure, Tokyo

Tokyo-based music-copyright agency e-License Inc. said May 20 it has concluded a comprehensive licensing contract with Google for the use of e-License-managed music on Google's YouTube video-sharing site.

Under the new agreement, users can legally post video clips to YouTube in which they play and sing e-License-managed songs. Uploading music data from CDs and artists' promotion videos remains prohibited.

E-License, which manages some 17,800 songs, is the second Japanese copyright agency to sign a blanket licensing contract for music use on YouTube after Japan Rights Clearance.

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