Twitch is once again facing a demand from the music industry and sending out copyright strikes. The German streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris warns all streamers to be careful now. The large Call of Duty streamer Nickmercs is deleting all his videos in response to a strike. WoW streamer Asmongold criticizes copyright laws as embarrassing and outdated.
This is what MontanaBlack says: The German Twitch streamer advised all his colleagues on Twitch last night to be careful: A colleague of his received a “DMCA strike” for the well-known song “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang.
The song was apparently heard in a “Video on Demand”: So not in a live stream, but in a recording of a previous stream or in a Twitch clip.
Streamers face deletion of Twitch channels due to unclear guidelines
This is the problem: The “DMCA strikes” are critical for Twitch streamers. Because according to Twitch rules, accounts can be deleted that receive multiple of these strikes (via twitch).
When exactly a deletion occurs is not specified in the rules. However, the idea persists: Starting from 3 strikes, a critical zone begins.
Twitch will immediately terminate users’ access to the Twitch service if Twitch determines that they have repeatedly infringed copyright on protected works. Twitch may, at its sole discretion, limit users’ access to the Twitch service and/or close their accounts if they violate the intellectual property rights of others once, for the first time, or repeatedly.
Twitch Policies
The current warnings have gone out for clips that are partly several years old. Some streamers even say: The clips for which they were warned were not publicly viewable at all.
Those who have been streaming on Twitch for a long time have no overview of which stream once had background music that is copyrighted. This means that especially streamers who have been on Twitch for a long time are at risk of receiving strikes quickly and suddenly getting banned, thus losing their source of income.
Twitch streamers take such strikes extremely seriously.
Twitch receives 1,000 complaints from the music industry, issues warnings
This is what’s behind it: Amazon explained in an email to streamers why strikes are going out again (via twitter):
- The music industry has made numerous submissions to Twitch: They should comply with about 1,000 copyright law violations. Most of these involve clips where streamers are listening to background music while gaming or recording an IRL stream.
- Twitch says: The music industry has apparently found a way to automatically check the video-on-demands (i.e., clips and streams) for copyright infringements. Twitch assumes that the music industry will continue to do this.
- Twitch says: They are disappointed that the music industry is not seeking dialogue with Twitch, but instead proceeding in this way. Twitch is ready to pursue solutions.
What can streamers do now? Twitch recommends that streamers delete or “unpublish” any content that includes material that violates the rules.
In the medium term, Twitch is still looking for solutions and working on features to enable content creators to avoid such problems in the future.
Streamer delete all their clips again
These are the reactions: The large “Call of Duty” streamer Nickmercs has deleted all his clips and videos.
He actually does not understand the situation: As a big streamer, he plays a song in front of 50,000 or 60,000 people. This has a promotional effect at no cost. The music industry does not need to pay for that.
From his perspective, artists should be happy that he provides free advertising for them.
Nickmercs tells a viewer who represents the music industry’s position that artists should be involved with licenses to Twitch:
In the end, artists also need people to listen to their music. Don’t act like you’re Drake and you’re releasing a song that everyone listens to. I have news: the majority of people do not listen to that crap.
Nickmercs
The well-known WoW streamer Asmongold says (via twitter): Twitch streamers and YouTubers should join forces and bribe lobbyists to change these ridiculous and outdated laws.
It’s embarrassing that the internet is still following rules written in 1998.
This is what’s behind it: The problem that Twitch and thus the streamers have can be summarized briefly:
- The music industry wants to make money from Twitch. They are looking for ways to still earn royalties in the digital age. Because Twitch is growing so strongly, they want to open up a new source of income.
- However, Twitch apparently does not intend to financially involve the music industry and desires another solution. Technically, this all seems to be complex and takes a long time, while the music industry is constantly applying pressure.
- The streamers find themselves between two fronts and apparently have only the option to delete the content they have recorded over the years. This is causing frustration.
About half a year ago, the music industry laid out its position in an open letter:
Music industry writes Twitch a nasty letter: Question of life and death
