YouTube was once an open playground where people could happily upload copyrighted content without fear of a takedown or reprisals. But no longer. However, maybe things have gone a little too far when an artist sees his own original music video removed after a wholly unnecessary copyright claim.
From Lawless To Law Abiding
Gone are the days when YouTube was a virtually lawless place with copyrighted video clips being uploaded all over the place. YouTube got away with those days in the main by having a 10-minute length limit, which meant the only thing that could really be shown in full were television adverts and music videos.
That 10-minute length limit still exists for average users, but the rules and regulations regarding what can be uploaded to the site have been tightened up substantially. Although the Google-owned site still operates a non-moderated system of uploads, the tools and methods content copyright owners have for locating infringing clips and then having them removed from the site are a lot more stringent.
DMCA Takedowns
Key to the second part is DMCA takedown notices. When a content owner finds a clip they think infringes on their copyright they issue a DMCA takedown notice to YouTube (or any other online video site for that matter) and the video is removed from the site without any further action being taken. Unless of course you are Viacom or ASCAP, both of which seem to interpret the law differently.
This is normally a good system that works well for all parties, until it comes to the interpretation of what constitutes a copyright infringement of course. However, a case has emerged today of a British music artist having one of his own clips removed from YouTube because of a copyright claim from the BPI (British Phonographic Industry), the British music industry’s trade body set up to look after the interests of record labels and their artists.
Calvin Harris Speaks Out
The music video in question is for Calvin Harris’ Ready For The Weekend. Harris noticed today that the video had been removed from his YouTube account, even though it’s his own video for one of his own songs and surely cannot be considered to be copyright infringing in any way. Harris claimed in a rant on Twitter that it was the BPI, an organization of which his own label (Sony Music) is a member.
Harris reacted rather badly, tweeting:
“Youtube have now removed the ORIGINAL mix and video of Ready For The Weekend, due to a ‘copyright claim’.”
“IT’S MY FUCKING SONG YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARDS.”
“There are videos up there that other people have uploaded of the same song, and they haven’t been removed!? But mine does!”
“It’s the fucking BPI. FUCK YOU ‘The BPI’ what have you ever done for anybody you useless shower of cunts.”
“Fantastic use of time combating piracy by removing my own videos, what a fucking revelation. Fuck the Torrent sites, this is the way forward.”
Conclusions
This is an absolute joke and I can understand Harris’ frustrations. Here is a music artist who is happy to engage with his fans and offer them the chance to see his new music video, yet he has to sit back and watch that video removed by an overzealous organization which is meant to be working for his, and his record company’s benefit.
The music video has since been put back up on YouTube but that’s really not the point. It defies belief that this kind of thing could ever have happened in the first place. I guess common sense doesn’t come into it when there’s even an outside chance that a copyright infringement has occurred. Even if it blatantly hasn’t.
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