Google's Deal to Buy Twitch

[Skyblade]

Twitch is now going to have Google's policies imposed on it. That means all of the Content ID and other copyright atrocities. Twitch is going to become basically unusable for its primary purpose. Twitch is not going to survive.

I really doubt they spent $1B to partake in the compelling joy of copyright enforcement. You guys are insane.

Duh? They spent a billion to acquire a new moneymaking platform. The joy of copyright enforcement is a side effect that is going to occur.

Please don't use the word atrocities when speaking about copyright.

When SEGA shut down YouTube accounts for merely TALKING ABOUT Shining Force III, I'm perfectly willing to call it an atrocity.

It still doesn't bode well considering how wreckless they've handled YouTube since its acquisition. So there is a reference point. Its not just a random corporation buying something. Its a corporation we know, buying something similar to something they've previously bought and previously attempted to ruin

I can only hope that they are aware of how horribly they've treated YouTube and want to buy Twitch to make up for it and treat it differently

Viacom and similar corporations are breathing down YouTube's throat, and barely a day goes by when Google isn't sued over something on YouTube. But Twitch doesn't have nearly the same problem. Nintendo's about the only big game company that might have a problem with YouTube streamers as far as I know. I think the only content ID matches that hit YouTubers are actually from music companies and not the game companies. And even then, when notified and they actually reply, they typically don't have a problem with YouTube streamers. It's just an automated system, based on them not wanting people to simply upload a song as a stand-alone, but they don't typically want to step on the game companies toes

I really hope they don't just unleash content ID bots on Twitch and take up a whole different stance without Viacom and RIAA asshats breathing down their throats

Um, I hate to break it to you, but video game companies have done a ton to harm YouTube content producers.

YouTube has a "three strikes, you're out" policy on copyright ID. Each video that an infraction is laid upon earns you a strike, and three will shut down your account, and the network you're associated with if you are part of that program, automatically. They also have a "guilty until proven innocent" policy, where a claim made will issue a strike before any checks are run to test the validity of the claim (though I believe they have closed the holes in the system that allowed anyone to claim an copyright strike, even if they weren't the copyright holder on the content in question).

Let's start with the aforementioned Shining Force fiasco. With the release of Shining Ark upcoming, SEGA decided to cull any and all videos that would appear with a search for "Shining Force III". Not only videos showing gameplay footage, or still images, but any videos even discussing the game, if it rated high enough on the search that it would appear before the new trailer for Shining Ark.

First Google Link, but you can find a ton of info on it if you search.


Ok, so SEGA sucks, but that was back in 2012. Who else? Well, there was the time last year when Nintendo issued copyright claims on everyone hosting any of their software. Nintendo avoided issuing full copyright strikes, and instead laid claim to any and all advertising revenue that content producers made on videos that held any Nintendo content.

Kotaku article.

But, hey, Nintendo has reversed the policy, and set up a subsystem designed to split the profits with content creators, so that reviewers and LPers can still keep using Nintendo stuff. So that's another win, right?


But what about earlier this year, when FUN issued copyright strikes on TotalBiscuit for his review and his research stream on Guise of the Wolf, after he reviewed a game (after they agreed to let him review it), but reviewed it very poorly? That, if he had a third video, they would have shut down not only all of Polaris, but the entire Maker Studios YouTube network, all because FUN got upset with a bad review.
The review.
The research vid for his review, where he shows the raw gameplay that led to his conclusions in the review.

Google Links for "Total Biscuit Guise of the Wolf". Because there are dozens, and I'm way too lazy to look for one to link.


These are the first three things that jump to mind, but they are by no means exceptions. Go ahead and ask any serious YouTube content creator. Ask your favorite reviewer or Let's Player. They've probably had plenty of run-ins with copyright strikes. They don't like to talk about it, which is why they leave it out of their videos unless it gets huge, but if you ask, most of them will tell you.

YouTube has an absolutely draconian copyright policy. They side completely on the side of the copyright holders in every situation. The complaint need not be valid, the entire strike system is automated. There are still accounts that were closed down by SEGA's action two years ago, that have never come back up. Given that some YouTube content producers actually make videos as their job, this mean that YouTube will, entirely on a whim from a corporation with no legal leg to stand on, deprive people of their livelihoods.

Oh, certainly, you can fight back. Especially if you're a big enough member or connected with a large enough network. TotalBiscuit got those strikes removed, after all. But the strikes still occur (again, they're completely automated), and if you don't have those connections, those lawyers willing to fight for you? You're boned.



I fail to see why these policies would not spread to Twitch, now that they share the same owner.