YouTube has added a new feature where it will now check videos for potential copyright infringements at the stage of uploading. This step was taken by its parent company Google which says that this new feature will help creators and reduce their surprises or worries.
The new system will not only check, scan videos for copyright infringement but also for monetization issues before they are published on the platform. It will further include ad-suitability issues which will prevent uploaders from earning a share of ad revenue in cases their video does not meet the guidelines issued by Google for advertiser-friendly content.
This new feature does not substitute the earlier method of flagging videos for copyright infringement which means passing the Checks stage is not sufficient to mark the video infringement free, videos can still be flagged for copyright infringement at a later stage. Google has tried to maintain a balance between enforcing copyright claims while also resisting heavier restrictions over the content that can be uploaded to the site.
When a new update came to YouTube in July 2019 with respect to its copyright claims system, Google announced that copyright owners would require providing timestamps to the company specifying exactly wherein a video the alleged infringement was located. Google further said that it was continuously responding to every concern of creators over their unclear claims of copyright infringement or some seconds-long snippets of music. However, the company also fiercely resisted all the new copyright obligations which were encompassed in the year 2019, EU Copyright Directive that places greater responsibility on each and every platform like YouTube to monitor for infringing content.
“While we support the rights of copyright holders—YouTube has dealt with almost all the music companies and TV broadcasters today—we are concerned about the vague, untested requirements of the new directive,” said YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki at the time.
“It could create serious limitations for what YouTube creators can upload. This risk lowering the revenue to traditional media and music companies from YouTube and potentially devastating the many European creators who have built their businesses on YouTube,” Wojcicki added.
Google says that the new system in the case of Checks will help creators in avoiding copyright as well as monetization issues down the line by identifying them before uploading the videos. “You no longer have to publish a video as unlisted or private—once the checks have completed, you’ll know if your video’s visibility or monetization potential will be restricted once it’s public. However, it’s still possible for your video to receive restrictions after it’s published,” a YouTube update said.
It is undoubtedly great news for the original creators but it might make it difficult for many people out there to upload the content now.
Tags :
