Now you see it, now you don't.

I tried to show my Internet Advocacy Communication class the new McCain Girls video this evening. We have been following their adventures as we study YouTube's impact on the election, and POOF!, it was gone.

Seems the MCPS-PRS Alliance Ltd. exercised its rights and had YouTube take down the unlicensed use of its intellectual property.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm... intellectual... mmmmmmmmmmmm

But fear not, it is still Raining McCain over here, despite the angry response by lead McCain girl to the tens of thousands of text and video comments to their version of the Weather Girl's hit Its Raining Men.

Will they exercise their IP rights, too? Time will tell.

And what really is the line between a violation of IP rights in this context? I'm no lawyer, but I wonder if free political speech rights trump IP rights in this situation.

And how does this play in the electorate? Another blip, bump, or blunder?

I think we can draw a couple lessons. First, posting a popular political video, especially an entertaining one like this one, will elicit a lot of viewer responses. And second, some people still don't expect political stuff they post to YouTube to generate reactions, comments, video responses, arguments, debate, diatribes, dissent, bruhahas, ballyhoos... lots of talk, elephant and donkey talk, elephant and donkey talk...

After all, YouTube is also a social network.

Obviously, it is late. I should be sleeping.

Poof! Gone.