Deep Silver moves against YouTube copyright claimants

Claims by a company called 4GamerMovie against YouTube videos featuring Deep Silver games, including Metro: Last Light, have been lifted, according to the games publisher.

Game video producers on YouTube have been hit with a wave of copyright claims in the last few days, as YouTube seeks to tighten up its rules. YouTube says it is merely enforcing copyright violations. However, producers say some of the claims are arbitrary.

Deep Silver, which allows video producers to create and monetize Let's Play and walk-through videos on YouTube, posted an update today. "A channel named 4GamerMovie has been claiming reviews, Let's Plays, and walkthrough videos for our games, including Metro: Last Light. We raised this issue with YouTube late last evening and from the reports we've gotten in the past hours, it seems that claims by this channel have been lifted. If this is not the case, please dispute the claim and link us your video in question via Twitter."

Video producers have questioned the validity of some copyright claims originating from companies with no clear connection to the games over which they declare ownership. Under YouTube rules, copyright claimants automatically start receiving advertising revenues from videos in which they report violations.

"Deep Silver has no intention of preventing players, who like to create gaming content on YouTube using our games, from doing so," added the statement. "Nor do we seek to block any videos of the kind. This includes Let's Play, Walkthrough, Review, or other edited or commentated videos that are monetized by a player.

"Whether your opinion of our games is positive or negative in your YouTube video, it is not our right as a games publisher to infringe on your basic right to voice your opinion freely using a public platform."

Other companies like Capcom, Blizzard and Ubisoft have offered their support to YouTubers, while companies with less liberal policies, like Nintendo, have yet to comment.