Warning for content creators: you can get a copyright strike on your private videos

[Retro]

Check out the headache that this YouTuber went through after getting a copyright warning for music that he'd actually licensed and the video was still private.

YouTube's Content ID system exists to protect copyright holders from infringement. But does scanning unlisted and private videos go too far? We explore the issue here.

So, this came as quite the surprise. Even though a video I uploaded was marked as "unlisted," within minutes of uploading it, I got hit with a copyright warning.

Warning: Your private YouTube videos aren't 100% private

YouTube's Content ID system exists to protect copyright holders from infringement. But does scanning unlisted and private videos go too far? We explore the issue here.

www.zdnet.com

This information is especially for NerdZone's content creators to be aware of:

@Geffers
@Retrokomodo
@TheURL

 

[Retrokomodo]

Interesting. I actually uploaded the intro to my next one privately to see if it might get hit - just so I wouldn't go through the hassle of replacing the audio once it's fully done! I wanted to know if I'd circumvented its checks by using a midi tune of the back to the future theme, and I wanted to make sure it didn't get struck

 

[TheURL]

Actually I find it useful that they do this - because I can test a piece of music for copyright violations BEFORE I make the video public. I make a blank video with just the proposed soundtrack, upload it/private. And if YT "accept" it, I know the production video will be ok.

Bear in mind while some "recordings" are copyrighted, some "tunes" are copyrighted separately. Fleetwood Mac were always doing that - so in theory if you sing certain Fleetwood Mac songs while having a shower you're breaching copyright.

 

[Geffers]

So much automation nowadays.

Last year I got a copyright warning after uploading some video of a fairground I visited, background music.

Videos not taken down, subsequent message says after checks all OK

Geffers

 

[TheURL]

A similar thing happened to me - we gate-crashed a wedding in Delhi and I included clips from it in a film - we had no idea the music they were all dancing to was from a new Bollywood film that had just been released. I challenged Youtube and they let me off too.

 

[Retrokomodo]

I'd agree that it is semi-useful. I thought i'd finished my latest, and brought it in on usb to upload using the work internet. After uploading and processing, it then told me that there was a claim on the segment of audio from the new Robocop: Rogue City demo gameplay I was including. So instead i'm going to replace the audio on the footage with the soundtrack from Robocop on my Gameboy I'd prefer to just record some new footage - but with the music off in settings, but unfortunately the demo has timed out, and the only way i'd be able to do that now would be to buy the game..

 

[TheURL]

Once I wanted to use the song "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles - but it failed the copyright check. I replaced it with the same song by a Beatles tribute-band that sounded almost indistinguishable from the original (and it was the same length so it didn't throw my timings out) - result!

 

[Uncrowned]

I'd say this also emphasizes why creators need to ensure they have multiple outlets for their community and subscribers. Sadly these changes, often undisclosed, can actually be devastating if all of a sudden a creator logs in and is baned for having three copyright strikes against their account for videos that were perfectly fine last week.

 

[Retrokomodo]

A very good point. I'll continue to use copyright free tunes from humble bundle!

 

[Retrokomodo]

I've uploaded my latest, and this is how I dealt with the copyright notification on the Robocop segment! -

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