Germans left out of Russian meteorite viral video

While the world was watching YouTube dashboard videos of the Russian meteor, Germany was left out of the astrological phenomenon.

According to a recent report linked from Reddit, Germany is involved in an ongoing dispute between YouTube owner Google and GEMA; Germany's primary source of performance rights. Many Russian videos were blocked from Germany because of Russian music playing in the background noise.

As stated in the report, more than 60 percent of the top 1,000 videos were blocked in Germany because Google assumes GEMA owns the music rights.

Germany doesn’t have an equivalent of the American fair use provision, which this would almost certainly fall under in the United States. Google did not immediately respond to Ars’ requests for comment. However, Google did provide a statement (Google Translate) on Feb. 16, 2013, to the German Journalists’ Union (DJV), which first raised the issue last week.

GEMA has received criticism involving the limitation of freedom of press in Germany.

GEMA won't let me listen to La Bouche?!?!?!

— Dena Yago (@khole_dena) February 21, 2013

“GEMA did not respond to Ars’ request to pay €0.00375 to GEMA so that a friend in Germany could see the video in question.”

— Dominik Schwind (@dominik) February 21, 2013

Noooo ! I hate the GEMA !!!! The German can't watch the Video from "One way or another" . Ooh I'm crying .. -.-

— Sophiee (@yesatruestory) February 21, 2013

BBC's coverage of the Russian Meteor