Reports are that Nintendo has targeted fan-made YouTube videos featuring its content to prevent their creators from earning any revenue. Nintendo has made a “content ID match” claim, which does not prevent the videos from being made but it does give Nintendo all monetization rights on the videos, as well as power to block the content.
“As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database,” said Nintendo in a statement. “For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.”
Zack Scott, who does “Let’s Play” videos on YouTube, is critical of the stance by Nintendo. He notes that he will not be playing their games in his videos, despite his long fandom for their products.
“I think filing claims against LPers is backwards. Video games aren’t like movies or TV. Each play-through is a unique audiovisual experience,” said Scott. “When I see a film that someone else is also watching, I don’t need to see it again. When I see a game that someone else is playing, I want to play that game for myself! Sure, there may be some people who watch games rather than play them, but are those people even gamers ”
“Since I started my gaming channel, I’ve played a lot of games,” he added. “I love Nintendo, so I’ve included their games in my line-up. But until their claims are straightened out, I won’t be playing their games. I won’t because it jeopardizes my channel’s copyright standing and the livelihood of all LPers.”
Source: Gamefront.com
