Facebook Inc. is out for blood in its efforts to challenge YouTube’s dominance over the web video market, and now the social network is reportedly trying to solve one of the most common problems faced by the average user who uploads videos: music copyright violations.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Facebook is looking to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to music publishers so that users can upload videos without having to worry about navigating the complicated maze of copyright law. Currently, Facebook is obligated to take down videos whenever a rights holder files a complaint, but if the company’s new deal goes through, users may be able to add copyrighted music to videos without fear of losing their content.

The copyright deal would be a welcome change for users, but it could also be good news for rights holders, which have had a difficult time keeping up with the sheer volume of video content posted to Facebook. Facebook has been working on building a partially automated system that would make it easier for rights holders to catch and flag infringing content, but according to Bloomberg, the system may not be ready for two more years. The deal would also not only lessen the strain on rights holders, but also on Facebook’s legal team, who have to deal with the company’s own liability in hosting infringing content.

Even if Facebook’s deal does go through, it will not be the end of the social network’s copyright woes. Many copyright violations are accidental, but there are also a number of users who intentionally upload infringing material, including movies. This could be a major problem for Facebook Watch, the social network’s new dedicated tab for video content.

Video is a major part of Facebook’s long-term plans, and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) has said that he believes that within the next few years, Facebook will be “mostly video.” Facebook has been investing heavily in its video infrastructure, spending more than $1.44 billion in capital spending for data centers that run video, up from $995 million only a year ago.

Photo: Facebook