Polygon - YouTube, Freedom of Speech and Let's Playhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/42931/favicon.ico2013-12-19T16:00:01-05:00http://www.polygon.com/rss/stream/49747592013-12-19T16:00:01-05:002013-12-19T16:00:01-05:00Kevin Smith slams YouTube copyright crackdown
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<p>Screenwriter and cultural commentator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Smith">Kevin Smith</a> has declared his support for content creators on YouTube, who are currently<a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/18/5225732/who-are-the-villains-in-the-youtube-copyright-debacle"> facing a barrage of copyright notices</a> that threaten their livelihood.</p>
<p>Speaking on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p5q9ijzlq4">George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight in Canada</a>, the writer of <em>Clerks, Chasing Amy</em> and <em>Dogma</em> said that creators ought to be allowed to use game assets to make new content. In the past week, YouTube <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/14/5208782/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-youtube-copyright-crisis">has issued thousands of copyright notices</a> to video makers, often generated by music companies seeking to secure advertising revenues from the shows' popularity.</p>
<p>Some games companies are also <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/16/4336114/nintendo-claims-ad-revenue-on-user-generated-youtube-videos">seeking revenues</a> from video shows, sometimes known as Let's Plays, while <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5201394/deep-silver-moves-against-youtube-copyright-claimants">others are keen</a> for the shows to continue.</p>
<p>"On YouTube they are starting to cull...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/19/5228406/kevin-smith-slams-youtube-copyright-crackdownColin Campbell2013-12-19T13:00:01-05:002013-12-19T13:00:01-05:00Developer forms group to fight YouTube copyright claims
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<p>A new organization has been formed to help streamline the copyright process for makers of Let's Play videos on YouTube.</p>
<p>WhoLetsPlay is a non-profit group being formed by <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/larsiusprime">game developer Lars Doucet</a>, co-founder of Level Up Labs, whose work includes <i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="/game/defender-s-quest/1428">Defender's Quest</a></i> and <i>Tourette's Quest</i>. The organization is named after <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23wholetsplay" target="_blank">a Twitter hashtag</a>, used during the recent <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/14/5208782/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-youtube-copyright-crisis" target="_blank">YouTube copyright sweep</a> that affected thousands of video game based video on YouTube.</p>
<p>WhoLetsPlay is seeking to centralize information about games companies and <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/16/4336114/nintendo-claims-ad-revenue-on-user-generated-youtube-videos" target="_blank">how they treat content creators </a>who use video game footage to create reports, walkthroughs, reviews and Let's Plays for free distribution.</p>
<p>It is also working with legal experts to formulate a boilerplate copyright note for...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/19/5227846/developer-forms-group-to-fight-youtube-copyright-claimsColin Campbell2013-12-18T20:30:02-05:002013-12-18T20:30:02-05:00Who are the villains in the YouTube copyright debacle?
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<p>The more you dig into this story of a YouTube <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/14/5210718/the-youtube-copyright-crackdown" target="new">copyright feeding frenzy </a>against makers of Let's Play videos, the more you seem to find villains.</p>
<p><span>Of course, everybody involved is </span><a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5198276/youtube-video-game-shows-hit-with-copyright-blitz" target="_blank">pointing at someone else</a><span>, claiming innocence for themselves or, at least, noble intentions. The makers of the videos are being portrayed as irresponsible mavericks, ignorant of copyright laws, grasping revenues off the back of other people's work. The big games companies are being demonized as clunking robots, operated by callous lawyers, hell bent on stifling creativity. YouTube is a misguided machine, adrift from the needs of its human channel operators.</span></p>
<p>But no-one is receiving as much grief as the music companies that are behind many of these claims, which...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/18/5225732/who-are-the-villains-in-the-youtube-copyright-debacleColin Campbell2013-12-18T12:49:26-05:002013-12-18T12:49:26-05:00Meet the music companies behind many of those YouTube copyright claims
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<p>One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/14/5210718/the-youtube-copyright-crackdown" target="new">recent YouTube copyright sweep</a>, is why so many music rights holders have been claiming revenues from makers of video game Let's Plays and even from developers promoting their trailers on YouTube.</p>
<p><span>Indmusic and TuneCore seem to be two of the most active claimants against video makers, filing multiple claims and, in doing so, diverting revenues away from the game makers and towards themselves and their partners.</span></p>
<p>The two companies are being cited by multiple video makers <a href="https://twitter.com/terrycavanagh/status/413055480315920384/photo/1" target="_blank">including Terry Cavanagh</a>, developer of <i>VVVVVV</i>, who had a copyright infringement flagged against one of his trailers.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/tha_rami" target="_blank">Rami Ismail of Vlambeer</a> also called out Indmusic and TuneCore. "Basically, if you make music for games,...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/18/5224022/meet-the-music-companies-behind-many-of-those-youtube-copyright-claims">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/18/5224022/meet-the-music-companies-behind-many-of-those-youtube-copyright-claimsColin Campbell2013-12-17T15:25:27-05:002013-12-17T15:25:27-05:00YouTube finally contacts video makers to talk copyright sweep
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<p>YouTube has contacted presenters of video game Let's Plays and Walkthroughs to explain its new <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5198276/youtube-video-game-shows-hit-with-copyright-blitz" target="_blank">crackdown on alleged copyright infringements</a>.</p>
<p>In the last week, many owners of successful YouTube channels, which profile and report on video games, have been hit with multiple notices from YouTube, claiming various copyright transgressions. The notices, generated by YouTube's automatic Content ID system, have been controversial, because they sometimes make claims on behalf of games companies that have <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/13/5207556/ubisoft-pulls-back-music-copyright-holders-claim-on-youtubers" target="_blank">given permission for content</a> to be used, and sometimes from companies with dubious or tenuous connections to the copyrights.</p>
<p>"Last week, we expanded the system to scan more channels," stated the YouTube email, obtained by Polygon. "As a result,...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/17/5221078/youtube-finally-contacts-video-makers-to-talk-copyright-sweep">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/17/5221078/youtube-finally-contacts-video-makers-to-talk-copyright-sweepColin Campbell2013-12-14T14:57:39-05:002013-12-14T14:57:39-05:00Everything you need to know about the YouTube copyright crisis and why you should care
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<p>At the center of this week's confusing thicket of news and outrage surrounding <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5198276/youtube-video-game-shows-hit-with-copyright-blitz" target="new">YouTube video game copyright sweep</a> is a very simple issue. </p>
<p>It's about freedom-of expression and the ability of critics, commentators and journalists to speak to large numbers of people without fear of reprisals or restrictions from corporations.</p>
<p>On a more prosaic note, it's also a clash of cultures between companies that are figuring out how much control they can usefully exercise over the content they create and those companies who cling to the belief that they have the last word over how their games are covered in the media.</p>
<p>But to get there, we really do have to cut through the brambles. So here are the basic facts.</p>
<p><b>YOUTUBERS:</b> Many people who visit...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/14/5208782/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-youtube-copyright-crisisColin Campbell2013-12-13T16:15:02-05:002013-12-13T16:15:02-05:00Ubisoft pulls back music copyright holder's claim on YouTubers
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<p>Many of the thousands of copyright infringement notices <a target="_blank" href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5198276/youtube-video-game-shows-hit-with-copyright-blitz">sent out to YouTube game video producers this week</a> have originated from companies not obviously connected with games, very often music rights holders.</p>
<p>This has caused bewilderment among the producers who, in the last few days, have found advertising revenues from their Let's Play and walk-through videos diverted to companies making copyright claims, often with a tenuous connection to the videos in question.</p>
<p>Under YouTube rules, any company claiming ownership of an intellectual copyright used in a video, and scanned by YouTube's copyright-matching Content ID system, receives revenues from the video. YouTube <a target="_blank" href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5200418/youtube-defends-copyright-crackdown">has defended its crackdown </a>and shows no sign of pulling back</p>
<p>While some...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/13/5207556/ubisoft-pulls-back-music-copyright-holders-claim-on-youtubersColin Campbell2013-12-11T16:59:05-05:002013-12-11T16:59:05-05:00Deep Silver moves against YouTube copyright claimants
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<p>Claims by a company called 4GamerMovie against YouTube videos featuring Deep Silver games, including <i>Metro: Last Light</i>, have been lifted, according to the games publisher.</p>
<p>Game video producers on YouTube have been <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5198276/youtube-video-game-shows-hit-with-copyright-blitz" target="_blank">hit with a wave of copyright claims in the last few days</a>, as YouTube seeks to tighten up its rules. YouTube says it is merely <a target="_blank" href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5200418/youtube-defends-copyright-crackdown">enforcing copyright violations</a>. However, producers say some of the claims are arbitrary.</p>
<p>Deep Silver, which allows video producers to create and monetize Let's Play and walk-through videos on YouTube, <a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rtdre5" target="_blank">posted an update today.</a> "A channel named 4GamerMovie has been claiming reviews, Let's Plays, and walkthrough videos for our games, including <i>Metro: Last Light</i>. We raised this issue with YouTube late last...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5201394/deep-silver-moves-against-youtube-copyright-claimantsColin Campbell