YouTube: How To Avoid Copyright Strikes, Dos and Don’ts

One of YouTuber’s greatest nightmares: YouTube removes a video you worked on for hours, even days. Most new video content creators unintentionally infringe copyrights. But, how can you escape YouTube’s copyright strikes? When you originally started thinking about starting a channel, you probably didn’t think much about this. So let’s go over how to avoid these strikes! 🤗

First of all… What is a copyright?

The creator of original work is protected by copyright. You have the ownership to whatever work you produce, whether it’s music, photos, paintings, computer graphics, or writing since everything you generate is a product of your creative mind. Because of its originality, you are protected by law on the use of this creation.

You should keep in mind that intellectual property does not go into the public domain even if the author, who holds the rights, has passed away. The intellectual property right can be transferred to heirs or assignees. Because of this, their usage is still controlled and supervised.

Can you add just short clips and music?

Copyright infringement is a major issue when it comes to intellectual property on YouTube, as it is anywhere else. The tiny sound you added to your video editing that may have seemed like a smart idea at first? Well, not really..🤔

Artistic, musical, photographic, audiovisual, or graphical productions aren’t the only ones that qualify. Artists have the right to protect their intellectual property even down to the tiniest details of their work. Because of this, it’s quite easy to infringe on copyrighted material by using it on your YouTube video.

Take a look at this copyright lawsuit example below:

Judy A. Juracek took Capcom to court in early June of 2021 for using over 80 copyrighted material photos from her book “Surfaces” to build the logos and layout for Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Remake, or Devil May Cry. Both the Japanese corporation and the designer appear to have settled the issue cordially, according to a statement from the St. Onge IP legal firm, as reported by GamesIndustry.

In addition to the $12 million in damages sought by Juracek’s lawyers for copyright infringement, the lawyers requested an additional $2,500 to $25,000 for every photograph used. Despite the lack of specifics in the statement, it appears as both sides have come to an acceptable compromise.

Dodging YouTube Copyright Strikes

In order to not have issues like mentioned above, avoid taking an image using Google Image Search if you want to attach it to your videos. You’re more inclined to stumble across copyrighted images if you browse for pictures in the search engine results. So avoid this method or you might end yourself with a copyright infringement notice letter!

Tip #1: Do it yourself!

Obviously, the ideal method to prevent copyright issues on YouTube, as well as any other digital platform, is to build everything from scratch! No more downloads, you generate all of your own stuff from start to finish.

Are you looking for a photo for your blog’s first page? Grab your camera and go snap a few images. Need a clip of something? Grab your friends and record a video!😁📸

• Not only do you get a sense of accomplishment from creating something worthwhile and intriguing, but you also take on the role of author. Your status, like your images, is then under legal protection.
• The goal of this strategy is to empower you to produce your own video content by using your own tools and resources. All you have to do is get your hands dirty and start creating your own original content.

Tip #2: Royalty-Free Content

You can’t be a creative genius in every field (although if you are, please contact us!). This is where our second option comes in to rescue the day for everyone out there in cyberspace. Even if you’ve honed your video-making skills, you may still lack the musical expertise necessary to create an engaging background track.

The best ally you have is a free content bank.

There are plenty of resources available to you, including images, video clips, music, graphics, logos, pictograms, typefaces, and more. These materials are available at no cost to you! In other words, you have permission to make use of them. However, there are a few things worth noting:

• Determine what the intended use is. For example, constraints on the right to edit or the right to reproduce may apply. Then check for any restrictions.
• Be respectful to the work’s authorship if it is needed to be done so. Give credit, where credit is due.  The needed information, such as, for example, the creator’s name, will have to be included.

Although there are parts to the Intellectual Property Code.

Look at the terms and conditions of use for picture and sound libraries, etc., to ensure that you are complying with the law. Be advised that these terms and conditions may differ from one content bank to the next. At the end of this post, you will discover a list of our top free resources.

Tip #3: Pay the Rights

If you have the financial capabilities, purchasing the rights to work may be the greatest approach to safeguard yourself against any legal issues. The author hands up all of the commercial rights to his work to you when you buy the intellectual property rights. Copyright law no longer applies to you, therefore you may relax knowing that you can utilize the content without fear of violating it.

You should always verify that the transfer of copyright is made clear on the contract if you hire a professional to create your company’s logo. Because the information is not presumed, you need to be more cautious. A claim or dispute may expire if the right is not articulated and there is no evidence that the right has been transferred.

Make a direct distinction between private use and commercial use.

• Commercial usage of these songs is almost always prohibited because of the restrictive licenses attached to many of them.
• If you want to give your work a little something more, you may want to buy copyrights. Sometimes all it takes to make a difference is a unique photo or infographic.

Tip #4: Copyright Exceptions

In order to describe anything as a rule, one must also describe an “exception to the rule”. If you want to go around the law, you’ll likely need the help of an expert or a lawyer.

There are, as usual in legal writings, exceptions to the premise of copyright protection. There are loopholes to this law, and if you fall into one of them, you can use the material even if it is protected.

• If, for example, you quote work and do it in the proper manner, you won’t have to worry about the courts worrying about the use of the protected excerpts.
• Additionally, if you’re doing a parody or a satire, you may be able to avoid copyright infringement if the character is viewed as a parody (this is done on a case-to-case basis, of course). It’s essential that you maintain your moral compass and refrain from exceeding the bounds of the latter.

Royalty-Free Digital Content

Feel free to share your YouTube tips in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.    

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