YouTube Copyright Bots: Finding the Right Balance for Copyright Infringement Takedowns

YouTube Copyright Bots Takedown Rights Holder’s Own Content Streaming

Much like most online platforms that allow for third-party posting of content, YouTube has struggled with copyright infringement issues. However, YouTube seems to get the most criticism for just not finding the sweet spot with using their content ID system and copyright bots for systematically handling copyright issues.

YouTube Copyright Bots Takedown Live Stream

Recently, at San Diego Comic-Con (“SDCC”) which was held virtually and livestreamed by ViacomCBS, the streaming of a reading of the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Discovery was suddenly blocked and replaced with a black and white screen with a copyright violation notice citing the CBS Content ID.  YouTube’s copyright bots “sensed” the similarities between the sounds and images in the livestream with that of material in YouTube’s content ID system for CBS copyrights and automatically blocked the video stream. 

Clearly, such livestreaming of CBS’s own material would not be unauthorized or copyright infringement.  However, the YouTube copyright bots did as they are intended to do and put a quick stop to a seeming copyright violation.  It took about 20 minutes for ViacomCBS to get things straightened out with YouTube for restoration of the livestream and continuation of the SDCC media conference.

Critics of YouTube Copyright Bots and the Content ID System

With copyright infringement rampant on social media platforms and the legal requirements such Internet service providers must abide by to help to prevent unauthorized use of content, companies rely on technology to help streamline monitoring and enforcement process.  YouTube, for example has a content ID takedown system that works with YouTube copyright bots in an automated process to identify unauthorized third-party use of copyrighted content.  

While, in theory, such systems should provide platforms like YouTube an easier manner of discovering issues and offer copyright owners the sense of some security against copyright infringement, these automated systems have flaws. However, it would be near impossible, if not impossible, to expect that all online platforms could afford to employ human armies large enough to monitor, identify, and enforce all copyright infringement matters throughout massive social media platforms.  And the requirements imposed by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) on service providers for promptly processing DMCA takedown requests pushes the bigger companies such as Google and YouTube to turn to technology involving automated systems.   

It seems that until there is a change in laws that will help to provide a truly happy medium between copyright rights holders and Online Service Providers (OSPs), companies will continue to try to automate the process in the best ways they are able. 

Key Takeaways on YouTube’s Use of Copyright Bots

As YouTube faces criticism and lawsuits for its methods of monitoring, identifying, and enforcing against copyright infringement on its platform, YouTube’s copyright bots do help prevent copyright infringement by:

  • automating the monitoring and enforcement process which would otherwise take significant time for individuals to accomplish;

  • quickly identify infringing content over a massive platform of users; and

  • provide an automatic method for takedown of unauthorized use of rights holders’ works.

For more insights on copyright infringement, see our Software & Copyrights Overview and Digital Arts Legal Solutions pages.

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Law, Blog, Software & CopyrightsClaudia Alvarado