YOUTUBE

A landmark licensing agreement means that every person in Ireland who clicks on a YouTube music video will generate revenue for musicians, according to The Sunday Times.

Google, the owner of YouTube, has agreed a deal that pays copyright holders for every click on videos that contain their material, even if it is background music.

The deal brokered by the Irish Musical Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Ireland (MCPSI) runs to the end of 2012. It is believed the deal will also be retrospective and royalties will be paid from when YouTube became available in Ireland in 2005.

Just how much every click will be worth will remain confidential.