Copyright law issues plague YouTubers

YouTubers have the luxury of working from anywhere, and many live here in California. One of the risks they take when uploading content to the platform is violations of copyright law. YouTube has a system for handling these issues, but there are complaints surrounding its use.

Some YouTubers are discovering that their videos are being flagged for copyright violations, which may or may not be true. It makes sense that the platform would want to protect itself from lawsuits and from people using content without permission, but at the same time, there are no protections against individuals using the system to get back at or prevent another YouTuber from posting content. Some people claim that they are victims of this type of behavior and want justice.

Part of the problem is that if a YouTuber receives three copyright claims or community guideline claims, his or her channel is terminated. Resolving false claims is not an easy process for those accused. Sometimes, they go up against large corporations for claims that may involve only snippets of music — if it even happened. An entire video may be taken down and demonitized for no more than 10 seconds of questionable content. Other accusations arise from the platform’s automated algorithm designed to keep copyrighted material from being used without permission.

While few would disagree that material protected by copyright law should not be used by YouTubers without going through the proper steps first, the large number of false claims ought to concern the platform and its users. Many people here in California and elsewhere make their living through YouTube, and facing these types of accusations puts that at risk. It may be a good idea to work with an attorney to help make sure the claims are resolved in the best way possible so they can continue providing the content their subscribers have grown to love.