Popularity/Legality of "Let's Play" Videos

I'm not a big fan of watching other people play games.  I can understand why others enjoy it...there is some humor in watching other people get scared or screwing something up.  I didn't realize how popular "let's play" videos really were until watching a recent episode of PBS's "GameShow."  In this episode Jamin explores the legality of these videos--something that I didn't really think much about.

I could really see some legal issues with these videos, but agree that they do seem to be a grey area.  Don't these very popular YouTubers make money from these videos?  Couldn't game developers/companies argue that their intellectual property is being used by others for profit?  The problem with this argument is that I don't think people are watching these videos to merely see footage of a game being played.  I think most people watch the videos to see someone interacting with a game.  Gaming can be a very singular experience and it is fun to see how similarly or differently people experience these games.

The exploration of legal issues argued in this video is interesting.  The size, complexity, and popularity of the Internet seems to have made enforcement of copyright laws extremely difficult.  Many of these "let's play" videos might also be beneficial to certain games.  I think Goat Simulator is a shining example of this.  Watching people create chaos with a goat is hilarious.  I, who initially thought that it sounded like the most ridiculous thing, wanted to run out and buy a copy.  Why would developers want to miss out on this kind of free publicity?  In the end I believe that is the simple reason why there haven't been more legal issues around these videos.  Keep making and enjoying those "let's play's" and hope that the lawyers stay out of it.