YouTube Videogame Channels Flooded With Copyright Violation Notices | TechTree.com

YouTube Videogame Channels Flooded With Copyright Violation Notices

New copyright monitoring algorithm may cause the death of 99% of YouTube gaming channels.

 

YouTube channels dedicated to videogames have proven to be a rich resource for previews, reviews, walkthroughs, and guides. The video-sharing website's new copyright implementation now threatens the very existence of these channels. These content creators have been receiving copyright infringement notices en masse over the course of this week.

According to a VG24/7 report, the notices originate from a music distribution company named IDOL. As per a new YouTube copyright monitoring algorithm that went live two days ago, all videos are automatically analysed and compared against music libraries for any trace of copyrighted content.

Gameplay videos hosted by such channels invariably contain in-game music, which is flagged as a intellectual property violation by the automated engine. Thereafter, a content claim ID is generated and passed on to the respective copyright holder, which happens to be IDOL in most cases, as the firm is the distributor for many music companies.

In the meantime, IDOL hasn't issued any statement on the matter. Major videogame publishers such as Ubisoft, Capcom, Deep Silver, and Codemasters have already issued a clarification from their respective Twitter feeds that the claims do not originate from their end.

The fate of these gaming channels could get worse from next year. VG247's source believes that only channels labelled as "Managed" by YouTube and Google will be exempt from all content ID claims from next year onwards. But there's a catch. This status will only be reserved for major YouTube channels. Smaller videogame channels will instead be labelled as "Affiliate".

This means the affiliates may have to put up with added delays of an approval process. In a fast moving world of videogame releases, that could mean a catastrophic loss of viewership. The source paints a rather disturbing picture as it prophesises that "99% of YouTube gaming channels will die soon."


TAGS: Gaming, YouTube

 
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