YouTube removes Baird's mean tweets video

Mike Baird says he is working with YouTube and R.E.M's label to resolve a copyright issue that led to his mean tweets video being removed from the site.

NSW Premier Mike Baird

YouTube has removed a clip of NSW Premier Mike Baird (pic) reading out mean tweets about himself. (AAP)

Premier Mike Baird has taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to the copyright issue after YouTube pulled a clip of him reading out mean tweets about himself.

"Fact: everybody hurts, sometimes," the premier tweeted on Friday, citing the R.E.M song that appears to have caused the fuss.

On Thursday, Mr Baird tweeted a video link of him reading mean tweets, a take-off of US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel's popular videos.

Everybody Hurts by R.E.M. played in the background as Mr Baird read the hate mail, including a tweet that said: "You look like the `smiling assassin'. Your charming smile hides your black, liberal heart."

But by Friday, YouTube had pulled the clip citing a copyright claim by Warner Chappell, which publish the US band's music.

"Mean tweets video removed," Mr Baird tweeted on Friday.

"Working with YouTube and Warner to resolve. Fact: everybody hurts, sometimes."

During the video, which has been copied and is again available on the video-sharing site, Baird cracks up at one tweet that suggested he was the devil.

"Mike Baird, I knew you were in Newcastle yesterday coz I could smell the stench of sulfur coming from your pitch fork from over 10 miles away," he read, breaking into laughter.

"This guy should be a writer, I like that, that's actually quite clever."

He appeared confused about a tweet that said "The Premier hates Justin Bieber".

"Yeah, of course I hate Justin Bieber. Who doesn't hate Justin Bieber?"

He said his daughters are Taylor Swift fans and they've given him sage Swifty advice about trolling: just shake it off.

The video even had a blooper reel at the end - to the tune of Swift's hit song, of course.

Warner Chappell is also responsible for Swift.


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2 min read

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Source: AAP


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