Copyright infringement issues have always been a concern for content creators. While communities try their best to keep them in check, sometimes things get out of hand. Streamers on Twitch have been hit with waves of DMCA claims against their clips recently.
We adhere to the DMCA, which requires that we take action on content and streamer accounts upon notice from rights holders, as happened this week. Our guidelines for music have not changed, so please reference them here. https://t.co/ln16yRNdif
— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) June 8, 2020
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The DMCA is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. As long as Twitch meets specific requirements, DMCA grants protection from copyright infringement liabilities. The two conditions being the company taking down such content and issuing a ban on repeated offenders.
Unfolding the incident
Twitch is obliged to follow the rules, and hence, it will be coming up with updated terms of service for its users. As of now, the platform claims that its guidelines for music haven’t been changed.
Apparently, the use of music in videos has caused the issue. Deleting said posts would mean removing more than 100,000 posts, which could result in a hefty loss. Some of the songs in the clip that caused the wave include ‘7 rings’ by Ariana Grande, ‘In Da Club’ by 50 Cents, and ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees. The reported claims mentioned works that date back to 2017.
Streamers such as Jakenbake and Fuslie have been hit with multiple copyright claims.
I’ve been issued 2 copyright strikes on my channel (both from clips over a year old) in the past week and told that if they find one more violation in my clips, my twitch account will be permabanned. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/y8pft3spdq
— fuslie (@fuslie) June 7, 2020
You need to implement the same feature that VODs have (muted when copyrighted works are detected) into clips.
There are individuals who have created bots that can scan and detect copyrighted works and flag them. Why can't Twitch?
— Jake'n'Bake @ LA 🇺🇸 (@jakenbakeLIVE) June 8, 2020
Fuslie also mentioned that she got in touch with Twitch, who advised her to delete the videos to avoid actions. While it is easy for a new or small-time streamer to delete some of their work, Fuslie and Jakenbake have thousands of clips. Removing them would mean clearing off years of work.
I am working hard to get as many of my clips removed as possible right now to prevent a 3rd strike/permaban 🙁 I’m so sad that this is the only solution that I have right now 😢 I REALLY hope we can figure out a better option for content creators going forward.
— fuslie (@fuslie) June 7, 2020
Several streamers were debating the issue on Twitter and addressed their situation. Read some of the tweets below.
Got a DMCA 2 more and my twitch account is permanently gone, Kinda crazy 5 years of work can just vanish in 2 seconds.
— cloakzy (@cloakzy) June 8, 2020
Imagine promoting someone’s music to your community just to get dmca strike 😂
— Tfue (@TTfue) June 8, 2020
With all these DMCA strikes happening on Twitch, I hope I’m allowed to play this during tomorrow’s intro…https://t.co/ZDn5ybGVTm
— Dr Disrespect (@drdisrespect) June 8, 2020
-Twitch has to act when they receive a DMCA.
-More eyes are on Twitch than ever with quarantine.
-Labels are finally coming for their money.
-You need to license or own the music you stream.
-There are services that help.
-Countering a DMCA is dangerous.
-SPEAK TO A LAWYER— Video Game Attorney (@Morrison) June 7, 2020
seeing the new rules being made against copyrighted music on stream is depressing.
listening to music all day makes me so happy and adds a whole different vibe to the stream.
also putting people on to new artists and songs is one of my favorite hobbies. time to sit in silence
— ᴀᴄᴇᴜ (@acesu) June 7, 2020
YouTubers have faced such issues all the time. While Twitch is facing some mockery, we hope they bounce back. Streamers meanwhile are getting criticized on the ground that the music they used in their videos was a disgusting way to make profits.
YouTubers seeing Twitch streamers talk about DMCA pic.twitter.com/uBwMVhR6Zm
— Marcel (@BasicallyIDoWrk) June 8, 2020
You Twitch streamers complainging about DMCA are disgusting. Stop trying to profit off the hard work of these artists and you wont get banned smfh
— 100T Froste 💯 (@Froste) June 8, 2020
DMCA claims weren’t targeted at the big streamers alone. Several others are also at risk of losing their work if it does not adhere to the guidelines.
Twitch to find a solution soon
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Twitch support on Twitter claimed to be working on resolving the issue. They have assured everyone that they’ll examine ways to give creators control over their content without facing such problems again in the future.
📢 This week, we've had a sudden influx of DMCA takedown requests for clips with background music from 2017-19. If you’re unsure about rights to audio in past streams, we advise removing those clips. We know many of you have large archives, and we're working to make this easier.
— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) June 8, 2020
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Like any other streaming website, three strikes would lead to the creator getting banned or suspended. The worst part is, clips from years back may also pose a problem for streamers. While several streamers decided to delete their content, others want a better solution.
Twitch will actively look to work on the issue, but are getting heat from streamers and viewers. Streamers stand a chance of losing all their work if a solution is not provided soon. Leave your take on the issue down in the comments.