So Techcrunch reports that the IOC 'starts to delete unauthorized video of Olympics on YouTube'. Examples of deleted clips found have all been ripped from BBC broadcasts which, as you no doubt know, breaks their terms of service. Pay attention here: "You further agree that Content you submit to the Service will not contain third party copyrighted material, or material that is subject to other third party proprietary rights, unless you have permission from the rightful owner of the material ..."

The BBC aired the opening ceremony in the UK, meanwhile NBC had the rights in the USA and on Reddit right now threads about the lack of Olympic footage online are popping up like shrooms. In the thread Shouldn't the olympics be something free for anyone to watch on the internet without all this copyright madness? this snappy retort was found:

- Not all of us have TVs and antennas. I own 3 functioning computers at the moment that I use regularly but I haven't owned a TV in years (and I like watching TV).
- You like watching TV, but you don't have one. Doesn't sound like my problem, but yours.

In each country where the Olympics is aired (on TV, you know that old dusty thing you might still have) the web distribution of same content is handled by each channel that has paid for the rights to air it. Some may have wide open "play on demand" websites, such as Sweden's state owned TV. Others have cable-member access sites, such as MSNBC.

Somehow this is all very anti-future. The future, apparently, is youtube and everyone passing around copyrighted works willy-nilly. Forget all of this paid for the rights hoopla we do today, where each channel is helping foot the bill for the cameramen, gaffers, and sports journalists dashing about in the expensive spectacle known as the Olympics. In the future, all of these people will be working not for money, but for love (ie: free). Right? That's how this works, doesn't it? Oh, and advertising will pay for it all - though I'm note sure who gets the advertising money. No wait, I know: Google. The largest advertising company in the world. Of course.

Oh for crying out loud. Face the future RT @mikebutcher IOC Starts To Delete Unauthorized Video Of Olympics On YouTube tcrn.ch/Otmv97

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) July 28, 2012