Sony will launch next friday, just in Japan, his new videonetwork, the first step to challenge Google Inc.’s YouTube service. This service, called eyeVio, will be launched also abroad, but first will be tested on the japanese island.

CEO Howard Stringer said that “It’s an opportunity to transmit user-generated video anywhere you want to, anytime to anybody, in a protected environment“.

So the first issue is that it’ll be protected, and we’ll know that protected means less freedom for the user. Unlike YouTube, who has $1 billion lawsuit from Viacom Inc. alleging copyright violation, Sony decided to closely monitor content on the service. A protect environment to place advertisements that cannot be polluted by aggressive content.

For sure media producers will appreciate it, and advertisers too, but will the user switch from a completely free environment like YouTube ( also if it’s not true…) to a more controlled and secure video sharing network?