YouTube is handing out copyright infringement warnings on Destiny content, and no one knows why
In the context: It’s quite common for gaming companies to issue termination notices to YouTubers who infringe their copyrights. Content creators have to juggle the risks of posting something that falls under fair use, and often, even if they’re careful, they’ll still see aggressive companies like Nintendo harass them. Whether they are right or wrong, most of them cannot afford to hire lawyers for a large corporation.
Last week, many in the Destiny community received a copyright warning. recorded in the r/DestinyTheGame subreddit. The claims primarily target YouTube video creators who archive outdated Destiny music that can no longer be found in games.
The Destiny takedown notices came as a surprise because series creator Bungie has never harassed those creators in the past. In fact, Bungie claims that neither it nor its partners are responsible for copyright claims. The game’s publisher says even its own official YouTube channels have received strikes.
We are aware of a series of copyright infringements on YouTube and are actively investigating it. This includes content on our own Bungie channels.
These actions are NOT taken at the request of Bungie or our partners. Please be prepared for future updates.
https://t.co/xPY1EzkgTh— Bungie (@Bungie) March 20, 2022
Indeed, it would seem that Bungie’s official stance on fan-created content is that as long as it’s non-commercial, it’s okay to publish it. Its Intellectual Property and Trademark License Agreement Notes that there are only a few conditions that violate its terms.
“Examples that “player-generated content” can be defined as user-generated commentary, animation, graphics, or gameplay. Conversely, please do not upload Bungie trailers or cutscenes with only ad(s) or borders that take up 20% of the screen. or 20% run time. Content creators should use our content to create their own content and not upload our content to their own channels.”
For the most part, however, the company is fairly open to players posting all sorts of content, including “images, footage, music, sounds, dialogue, or other assets.” So, who or what is causing the copyright strike? Bungie says it’s looking into the matter and will let us know what it finds.
He didn’t have any advice for content creators, but it would be wise to wait for Bungie to give the green light before posting or posting anything related to Destiny.
