YouTube has created a channel that allows video enthusiasts and music lovers to showcase their creations in what could have started as a hobby or a sharing of talent.
The idea of video sharing has evolved to be a lucrative industry, with every advertisement displayed in YouTube videos having the potential to earn big money. But some video creators and rightsholders are now embroiled in copyright disputes that are causing advertising payments to be put on hold while the Content ID process is going on.
YouTube's Content ID was intended to protect rightsholders who want to make sure that their work is not stolen or claimed by others as their own. The process seemingly did not serve its purpose as some users' earnings were repeatedly frozen because publishers began demanding payments for partial video clips that are legally covered under the fair use program.
To fix the issue, YouTube recently announced in a blog that it is working on a solution to allow videos to earn while a claim is being disputed. It will continue to run ads on those videos, hold the accumulated revenue in separate purses, and pay out the revenue to the appropriate party or parties after the dispute is resolved.
The Internet video company plans to roll out the new system in the coming months to give itself more time to pay close attention to how the fair use protection program it launched last year is working.
The move comes on the back of a brewing relations problem with artists who are demanding more fairness in royalty payouts. Critics from trade groups and brands also allege that video platforms like YouTube are using the safe harbor concept of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to protect themselves.
While the debate is on, Christophe Muller, YouTube's head of international music partnerships, published an argument in The Guardian, defending YouTube.
"The truth is that YouTube takes copyright management extremely seriously and we work to ensure rightsholders make money no matter who uploads their music. No other platform gives as much money back to creators, big and small, across all kinds of content," wrote Muller.
The company also wants to make sure that the Content ID tools are being used properly by building a dedicated team to monitor this. The team can partially restrict access or even terminate access to partners who repeatedly abuse the tools. The team has been effective in acting on millions of claims before they could impact the creators as well as resolve millions of invalid claims last year, according to the blog.
For now, nothing can stop people and companies from making claims but the new system is a welcome development to ensure that both creators and rightsholders get their fair share through an effective Content ID process.
Photo: Rego Korosi | Flickr
