View Full Version : Copyright on Youtube
As some of you know, like others, I have been making up videos for Youtube with backing tracks from your favourite (or maybe not) artists. Now I knew this was a probable ;) breach of copyright and wondered what would happen. My prepared answer was I am not making any cash from it, I credit the artist (well, actually I didn't in this case, but that was a mistake!) and if they are really fussed I can remove the music (which leaves the soundtrack a bit lame :(, with people making naff comments in the background and the sound of wind or bubbles gone mad!).
Today I found out!
Dear YouTube Member:
UMG has claimed some or all audio content in your video Yachting on the Clyde. This claim was made as part of the YouTube Content Identification program.
Your video is still live because UMG has authorized the use of this content on YouTube. As long as UMG has a claim on your video, they will receive public statistics about your video, such as number of views. Viewers may also see advertising on your video's page.
Claim Details:
Copyright owner: UMG
Content claimed: Some or all of the audio content
Policy: Allow this content to remain on YouTube.
Place advertisements on this video's watch page.
Applies to these locations:
Everywhere
UMG claimed this content as a part of the YouTube Content Identification program. YouTube allows partners to review YouTube videos for content to which they own the rights. Partners may use our automated video / audio matching system to identify their content, or they may manually review videos.
If you believe that this claim was made in error, or that you are otherwise authorized to use the content at issue, you can dispute this claim with UMG and view other options in the Video ID Matches section of your YouTube account. Please note that YouTube does not mediate copyright disputes between YouTube owners. Learn more about video identification disputes.
Sincerely,
The YouTube Content Identification Team
Not that bad really - UMG who have the Thin Lizzy copyright let me continue to post the video with the sound, but lets them pop on an advert that isn't toooo intrusive and make a bit of cash for them. I don't know if you've all had this already or what you think but frankly I can live with this.
Cheers for the info, Peter. Sounds like they're taking a refreshingly pragmatic approach to the copyright issue. :)
Could you please repost the link to your YouTube vids?
My home page with all the vids, both diving and others - the offending one was the Clyde Yachting Day.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Billybusrammer
im having a deja-vu moment...:rolleyes:
got one as well last week from UMC but their approach seems sensibile.
my offending video was the Kintyre...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JgEv6msj1qc
they have placed an advert to the right of the viewing footage.
took me a while to work out where they placed the advert...:rolleyes:
Deja-vu for me too. :D Anyway, I think music should be free for all to hear. I am not sure how copyright works for covers of songs by unsigned bands.
I am not sure how copyright works
me neither, cant remember the last time i was in a record shop..
perhaps i just gave it away with 'record shop'...:D
I got one of these the other day too. For my Malta Part 3 video. It does seem a pragmatic approach - I'm not trying to pass their music off as mine or anything (just improve my video with their music!).
For anyone interested, Moby has created a site called www.mobygratis.com
The idea is that you can download their music to put onto amateur video productions. You listen to the music, find what you like then apply for a license. This takes about 5 days - they then send you the link and you can download it.
Seems a pretty good deal - it doesn't include any of their well known songs but the music is quite suitable for video.
:( Oh, no - you tube have moved on a bit with the copyright issue - this time not producing such a good result - for me anyway.
I noticed that 2 of my videos have had the soundtrack removed as the copyright owner has objected. Unlike the previous posts there is no option to leave it with an advert on so I've simply had to replace the sound track with one of you tubes audio swaps. The downside of this is that the audio swap tracks aren't ones most people would know and it's a bit of a trawl thru' these tracks online to find one I like and my music credits are no longer correct. You can't simply put a new track on your video at home and upload it without losing the previous hit counter!
Now I seem to have three different approaches on you tube applied to my videos with, ahem, borrowed soundtracks :o
Copyright holder happy with advert beside video
Copyright holder happy, video restricted geographically and advert beside video
Soundtrack removed which can be replaced with you tube soundtrack
I had been using you tube soundtracks for my latest videos anyway because if you have the advert popup the videos aren't available on iphones and some other smart phones.
Ho, hum :rolleyes:
Just had a quick look at your videos on youtube. I see they also splash "you can buy this track on Itunes" with an Itunes link embedded. Now this seems a very sensible way to handle the "non-commercial" use of copyright material.
Makes better sense than the music we ended up using copyright free for the Karwela Sinking Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GMGLuo-X90) - It's going to have to get re-edited one of these days!
Another approach I've seen successfully used is just to ask the bands permission before hand. A good example would be the Chase Jarvis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKK9-HEDa8I) promo. I bought the track after searching for the band on Itunes!
Yep, several of my videos have now had the audio removed without a note to me informing me. I have now added some of the Audioswap tracks to my vids, but as Peter says it is not the track that was originally chosen and kind of spoils the effort gone to get everything to fit. I have used mashups on a lot of my videos which don't appear to get touched, so I will probably continue down that route. Not sure where this stands since mashups clearly breach copyrights already, but the creator of the mashup usually distributes freely.
I can see youtube's point, however it would be nice to get a note from them instead of stumbling across your video to find out there is no audio and not realising how long its been gone. I would not have known about this unless Peter had told me.
here is my video's page http://www.youtube.com/user/scubadubba
Yep, I would agree with that. No actual complaint against youtube or the copyright holder and I think they have made a reasonable attempt to provide solutions - but it would have been good if they had notified me of the soundtracks being removed as they did when they plonked the adverts on - but as no ones threatened to prosecute me for copyright theft I guess I can't complain much :rolleyes:
The audio swaps are fine, but you can't really embed them in your videos in the same way, as the audio swap is done after the video editing is finished. I tried to edit my videos to fit the soundtrack both in terms of length and the tempo of the music.
Maybe if I made up my own tracks and played and sung them myself that would solve all my problems and, of course, everyone would flock to view my videos just to hear the sound :) - or maybe not :(!
Peter, I noticed when I was trying to use Audioswap you can search for tracks the same length. I just did this then randomly selected one. :)
One option to get really good royalty free matching sound is to use SonicfirePro (http://www.smartsound.com/sonicfire/tutorials/index.html)
Not free but very powerful - worth watching the tutorials in the link above.
Rob
you don't have to be signed to own copywrite. Copywrite belongs to the artist unless given up as part of an agreement. The same as writing. As soonn as you write something original you then own the copywrite to that material as yours. Copywrite extends over varying lengths of time dependant on what is is, music, writing etc and dependant on if you are alive or have shuffled off this mortal coil, as well as if you have any existing family. The unsigned band can come after you in the same manner but wont have the dosh that the big companies have to clobber you with :)
:):)
Deja-vu for me too. :D Anyway, I think music should be free for all to hear. I am not sure how copyright works for covers of songs by unsigned bands.
you don't have to be signed to own copywrite. Copywrite belongs to the artist unless given up as part of an agreement. The same as writing. As soonn as you write something original you then own the copywrite to that material as yours. Copywrite extends over varying lengths of time dependant on what is is, music, writing etc and dependant on if you are alive or have shuffled off this mortal coil, as well as if you have any existing family. The unsigned band can come after you in the same manner but wont have the dosh that the big companies have to clobber you with :)
:):)
Yes, we had to get a performing licence by law if we are playing cover songs at paid gigs, same with disco's.