The legalities associated with using unlicensed music in a YouTube video are always dicey.<\/p>\n
One, for instance, might be inclined to assume that support from the singer-songwriter responsible for the music would preclude any concerns about intellectual property infringement.<\/p>\n
One would evidently be wrong.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, YouTube user Thomas Jung dubbed a tacky, dated 1980s aerobics with Taylor Swift’s #1 hit “Shake it Off.” The synchronization between the audio and video was astonishing, and the effort began to go viral Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Shortly after midnight, Swift personally got in on the action.<\/p>\n
“A sneak peak at the official ‘Shake It Off’ choreography for the 1989 World Tour,” jokingly Tweeted Swift, who included a link to a HuffingtonPost article about the video (with the video embedded).<\/p>\n
With an official endorsement from Swift, the video continued to gain steam at an exponential rate, and it was a talking point on the major talk shows Friday morning.<\/p>\n
By Friday afternoon, the video was no longer available. In its stead: “This video contains content from UMG, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”<\/p>\n
While label legal and compliance teams often operate without appreciation for context (or regard for the artist’s personal opinion on an issue), a vast disconnect between an artist and her label is always a sight to behold.<\/p>\n
In the event that the video does return, it will be embedded below:<\/p>\n