It has been a problem for many years, users file YouTube and copyright infringement claims against users who then find their well-constructed videos taken down. It provides a headache for the user as they seek to prove that they have the right to use the material or argue “Fair Use”. YouTube recently announced that it would take further steps to ensure that content is on their site legitimately – and this includes investigating false claims of use of such content as music where you need proper licensing and a claim of Fair Use does not apply.Top Pup Media produces original video content using assets specifically tailored for your business or project. That includes graphics and voiceover artists. If you should choose to upload to YouTube the content that we produce, you never need to worry about copyright infringement. However, that does not mean you will never receive a false claim; this article is still relevant to you.
What YouTube is Doing Now
Previously, users have accused YouTube of a slow response time for investigating legitimate content. Bigger channels have people trained to negotiate such complaints, but smaller channels and those businesses who are not YouTube savvy have not been equipped to challenge claims as false. Also, you have a business to run without having to spend time challenging malicious claims or those that have been filed mistakenly but in good faith. YouTube has promised to speed the process of investigation into counterclaims of false copyright infringement. So far, they have reported no significant change in the number of video removals across their site.There are presently no plans to take action against persistent offenders who falsely flag content (even though to do so is illegal), but the community is calling for action to deter such accounts. YouTube has yet to release details on how they will accomplish this, but there are steps you can take now to protect yourself.
Avoiding Copyright Infringement
You may have heard of “Fair Use”, and you may agree with it in principle, but fair use is a complex minefield and ultimately, it is no protection against having your content removed even if you do attribute the copyright owner. They still have the right to have your content removed for copyright infringement no matter how small the sample you use of their music, graphics or video. Where possible, search for public domain or Creative Commons works (giving full attribution as specified in the licensing terms). However, Creative Commons is not ideal because it is often so widely used.The best way to ensure that your content is not subject to a false claim of copyright infringement is to ensure that you own the content (as the copyright owner) or own exclusive right to use the content (implied right).When using a professional video content producer such as Top Pup Media, you should rest assured that we produce only original video content in conjunction for our clients.
