YouTuber “Eroktic” is currently in some trouble. According to Battlestate Games, the developer studio of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov, he spread misinformation in his videos.
Furthermore, the studio accuses the YouTuber of reporting negatively on the game, which is why the “strikes” against him are said to be justified. “Eroktic” now risks losing his channel.
Developers take videos offline
What happened? Battlestate Games had 47 videos of YouTuber “Eroktic” taken offline that were about the online shooter Escape from Tarkov. According to Battlestate, some videos contained misinformation about an alleged leak of user data that never happened.
Since these reports harmed the company, drastic measures had to be taken. Copyright strikes followed, taking the videos offline.
Now Battlestate is reviewing the other videos. If these are “okay,” the studio will lift the strikes against the YouTuber. However, the developers have discovered a negative sentiment towards Escape from Tarkov in many videos. The studio does not appreciate that.
What threatens “Eroktic”? Due to the Copyright strikes, the YouTuber could lose his channel. After three strikes, YouTube can suspend a channel, delete all videos, and prohibit the YouTuber from creating more channels. This could also happen to “Eroktic” if Battlestate maintains the strikes. The company feels justified in this.
Community is angry
How does the community react? Many YouTubers show solidarity with “Eroktic”. While there is understanding that videos containing misinformation were taken offline, videos that report negatively on the game should not lead to a copyright strike.
Some “Emissaries,” content creators supported by Battlestate, have resigned in disappointment. They simply no longer feel comfortable creating content for a company that distributes copyright strikes because it is dissatisfied with the reporting.
What is the problem? Battlestate Games makes clear the position YouTubers have – namely, that they are essentially dependent on the goodwill of the copyright holder. Let’s plays and similar videos still operate in a legal gray area. This type of video is basically only tolerated by the rights holders.
As the situation around Escape from Tarkov now shows, a game studio can intervene at any time and distribute copyright strikes if there is too negative reporting on a title. This greatly restricts the freedoms of YouTubers.
