YouTube has launched\u00a0a new programme to protect what it calls \u201csome of the very best examples of fair use\u201d from copyright takedown requests.<\/p>\n
A number of video creators have complained about the\u00a0abuse of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act\u2019s takedown procedure to have valid criticism censored, or fair use of copyrighted content blocked.<\/p>\n
When YouTube receives a\u00a0takedown request, it immediately blocks the video from being viewed – allowing the creator to challenge the takedown.<\/p>\n
This is costly for innocent\u00a0creators, in terms of time and the advertising revenue lost.<\/p>\n
For a handful of creators, YouTube has made an exception and offered Fair Use Protection.<\/p>\n
Under the programme, YouTube indemnifies creators whose fair use videos have been subject to takedown notices for up to $1 million of legal costs in the event the takedown results in a lawsuit for copyright infringement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis ensures those creators have a chance to protect their work, and makes the entire creative world better by educating people on both the importance and limits of fair use doctrine,\u201d said YouTube.<\/p>\n
The videos offered this protection can only be viewed from within the US, though.<\/p>\n
Four videos have been extended this protection:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe videos featured above represent a minuscule portion of the number of copyright takedown requests we receive – they\u2019re even a small percentage of the number of potential fair uses that are subject to takedowns.”<\/p>\n
\u201cYouTube is only able to offer Fair Use Protection to a small number of individual videos each year that we choose based on a variety of factors. We try to select videos that are most illustrative of fair use.\u201d<\/p>\n
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