CBS, Disney, Fox, NBC, and Viacom are among those boosting User Generated Content Principles, a set of guidelines for sharing content online without violating anyone's copyrights. Sharing through a service like YouTube should be allowed, provided it takes place in accordance with their suggested rules:

In coming together around these Principles, Copyright Owners and UGC Services recognize that they share several important objectives:

(1) the elimination of infringing content on UGC Services,

(2) the encouragement of uploads of wholly original and authorized user-generated audio and video content,

(3) the accommodation of fair use of copyrighted content on UGC Services, and

(4) the protection of legitimate interests of user privacy.

We believe that adhering to these Principles will help UGC Services and Copyright Owners achieve those objectives.

But as David Kravets indicated on Threat Level, YouTube and Google aren't among those promoting the UGCP, as they just unveiled a system to accomplish the same task.

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