YouTube and Copyrights

[soarinoverca]

I am a teacher and this past Christmas my class performed the title song from "The Polar Express" I wanted to post a video for the parents who were not able to make and it and YouTube deleted the audio from the video because of Warner Music copyright. Now I know the copyright is there to protect the creator of having their product used in the wrong way but I don't see how a class of second graders singing and dancing is hurting the songs' writer, the song wasn't altered in anyway no profit is being made from the video I don't what the problem is. I even looked through YouTube's copyright resolve and they had answers like "It doesn't matter" nothing real concrete to why the song couldn't be used. But what really pisses me off is that if you search "The Polar Express" in YouTube the entire movie is there, the soundtrack, and other classes and groups performing different songs. What are your thoughts on YouTube's and it's unfair way of dealing with copyrights.

 

[boredman321]

ya it really angers me, because some of my videos of me and my friends singing have to be "re dubbed" but some full lenghth movies still exisit on youtube!

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

You were trying to upload a performance of someone else's song, a copyrighted song. It's their right to pull it.

I wouldn't have if it were my song, but I'm not the one holding the copyright.

Next time write your own song or have a friend write one for you and you won't have this problem.

But we need to accept that we don't own youtube, we can't make them do what we want when we want it when copyrighted material is called into question. When you sign up, YOU agree to THEIR terms so you know what you're getting into, you know that your vids are subject to be pulled.

 

[soarinoverca]

You were trying to upload a performance of someone else's song, a copyrighted song. It's their right to pull it.

I wouldn't have if it were my song, but I'm not the one holding the copyright.

Next time write your own song or have a friend write one for you and you won't have this problem.

But we need to accept that we don't own youtube, we can't make them do what we want when we want it when copyrighted material is called into question. When you sign up, YOU agree to THEIR terms so you know what you're getting into, you know that your vids are subject to be pulled.

I understand all that but they are not doing a very good job of regulating the videos, there is tons of copyrighted material on YouTube that they seem to be doing nothing about. I think that things like school performances should be ok as long as no one is making money off of it or they sould give you the option of having a link with your video to buy the material featured from the company.

 

[Paws]

You're not the only one, Warner Music Group seems to have a problem with people performing cover versions:

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

I understand all that but they are not doing a very good job of regulating the videos, there is tons of copyrighted material on YouTube that they seem to be doing nothing about.

Then flag the videos if it bothers you, which (seemingly) it didn't until one of your videos was pulled.

I think that things like school performances should be ok as long as no one is making money off of it or they sould give you the option of having a link with your video to buy the material featured from the company.

To be blunt, it doesn't matter what you think is okay, what matters is what the owner of the content thinks is okay. I'm not saying I agree that 2nd graders shouldn't be allowed to post a vid of a Polar Express song, but that's the reality of ownership. There's no point in copyrighting anything if people who don't own the rights are allowed to modify terms of usage.

 

[Paws]

Copyright is when you take the original work (or a changed version where the original work is still obvious) and pass it as your own or make it otherwise available in a form that the copyright holder doesn't want.

Timbaland is such a guy that has done lots of copyright infringement because he stole a complete song from someone else.

Recording a non-commercial cover version of a song where you sing along to your guitar strums is not copyright infringement. When music companies take down these videos down it's as stupid as when they take down websites with song lyrics databases.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Copyright is when you take the original work (or a changed version where the original work is still obvious) and pass it as your own or make it otherwise available in a form that the copyright holder doesn't want.

That's exactly the point, apparently the owner of the material didn't want their work presented by 2nd graders. Was that douchetastic of them? Certainly, but it's their material. They get to choose who can present it, when, where, how, and why.

It seems youtube has gotten stricter about it in the new year and I assume that trend is going to continue.

 

[soarinoverca]

I still think it sucks I can't share all the hard work and effort the kids put into the performance but not much I can do about that. YouTube is going to become a very boring place if things like this continue. The theme of "Broadcast Yourself" will soon be lost with YouTube being strict. It did not bother me when other people put up videos from the Polar Express because I thought the point of YouTube was being able to share things.

 

[Letterbomb]

Copyright sucks.
It's a HUGE right-wing conspiracy!

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

YouTube is going to become a very boring place if things like this continue.

Not necessarily. Youtube is full of original composers who upload their work for an audience of (potentially) millions.

The theme of "Broadcast Yourself" will soon be lost with YouTube being strict. It did not bother me when other people put up videos from the Polar Express because I thought the point of YouTube was being able to share things.

The theme is to broadcast YOUR work. The purpose is to share YOUR content. If there isn't already, perhaps a database will soon be offered so we know what pieces ARE available for replication, that would make things easier for all parties involved. Both the "little guys" like you and I and the big companies who pretend that they'll starve to death if someone sings one of their pieces.

 

[gdude30]

Youtube is a bastard.

I'm sorry that this happened to you.

But unfortunately it can't be helped. You can cover a song or whatever. And someone else uploads the whole movie and it might never be used. But I have noticed that Warner Music has been harshly strict for some reason. I can't say they are for the movies though. There are always alternates to youtube though.

Just remember that.

Next time use something like Veoh, Megavide or something else.

Youtube died once it joined with google or something.

One thing that helps though is to put

"I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG"
"CREDIT GOES TO WARNER BROS. MUSIC, CASTLEROCK, and Whoever else wants an ounce of credit"

or something along those lines. Though it doesn't work all the time

 

[Corny]

One thing that helps though is to put

"I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG"
"CREDIT GOES TO WARNER BROS. MUSIC, CASTLEROCK, and Whoever else wants an ounce of credit"

or something along those lines. Though it doesn't work all the time

that's snake oil. they don't care at all what you write, the software just fingerprints the video/audio stream.
what can help is to throw in some "errors" - at least for video it helps, for audio their methods are a lot better

 

[gdude30]

that's snake oil. they don't care at all what you write, the software just fingerprints the video/audio stream.
what can help is to throw in some "errors" - at least for video it helps, for audio their methods are a lot better

Not a bad idea. If you upload a song go into a garageband. And during maybe one or two parts of the song, scream in "YOUTUBE SUCKSBALWLAWHAWHAHW COPYRIGHT THIS YA BLASTARD" then back to the song.

That sounds like a good idea. At least if you write that you don't own the video you have the self fulfillment of telling them that you don't own it and whatever actions they take after that you can justify your own reasoning better or something.