If you have received a notice from YouTube that your video contains content that is owned or licensed by The Orchard, a music, film and TV distribution company, please read the outline below which will address any questions you may have. First off, please know that The Orchard does not intend to sue you and, in most cases, will not be removing your video.
The notice you have received informs you that YouTube’s Content Identification System (Content ID) has matched a portion of the audio or visual component used in your video to content that belongs to a particular copyright owner or was licensed to a distributor (e.g. The Orchard). YouTube’s Copyright Center explains Content ID as follows:
Copyright holders use Content ID to easily identify and manage their content on YouTube. Videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database of files that have been submitted to us by content owners. When Content ID identifies a match between your video and a file in this database, it applies the policy chosen by the content owner.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION
YouTube’s Copyright Center is the place for definitive information regarding copyright claims and this process. The following offers some helpful tips in getting the most out of this resource.
If you have received a notice, you will see a link under your video’s view count in Video Manager as well as the following symbol: ©. To learn more about the status of your video and what steps you can take, click on the “Includes copyrighted content” link.
On clicking the link or symbol, you will see a screen like the one below:
On this page you will be able to review the claim, the content match, the claimants (e.g. The Orchard Music), and the policy that has been applied to your video by the claimant (whether to track, monetize, or block your video).
The best source of information about Content ID claims is the “What is a Content ID claim?” section under “Copyright support and troubleshooting”. This page is a particularly helpful resource that explains the possible reasons a claim may be placed on your video.
After reviewing the causes and status of the claim on your video, YouTube gives users the following suggestions (from “What is a Content ID claim?” in YouTube’s Help Center):
- Do nothing: If you agree with the claim, you can just move on. You can always change your mind later if you disagree with the claim.
- Remove the music: If you receive a claim for a piece of music in your video, you can remove the song without having to edit and upload a new video. Learn more.
- Swap the music: If music in your video is claimed, but you still want to use music in the background, you can swap out the audio track with a song from YouTube’s free Audio Library. Learn more.
- Dispute the claim: If you have the required rights to use the copyright-protected content in your video, or if you think the system has somehow misidentified the content used in your video, you can dispute the claim.
If the previously mentioned YouTube resources do not address your specific question or issue, and you would still like to dispute the claim, please visit: Dispute a Content ID claim.
On this page you can find step-by-step instructions on how to evaluate whether or not to dispute the claim on your video, and how to file a dispute in the event that you can confirm that the claim on your video is invalid.
Should you have any further questions about claims, you can also visit “Frequently asked questions” under “Learn more about copyright”.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE DISPUTING A CLAIM
There are several reasons to dispute a claim, but it is important to make sure the reasons apply to your specific situation and claim. YouTube has sections providing examples where the common reasons for disputing a claim of fair use and public domain are applicable. Otherwise, claims should be disputed in the event that you have exclusive rights or have correctly licensed all content present in your video, or the match is incorrect. Continued and frequent disputes against correct claims may result in rights holders taking action against your video or channel.
Another resource YouTube makes available for users is the Copyright Troubleshooter. If you have difficulty finding the information you need, this tool may help.
If after reviewing the resources from YouTube you still believe the claim is invalid and would like to proceed with the dispute, you will have to answer a series of questions and fill out the applicable fields in the dispute form provided by YouTube, and The Orchard will address your claim accordingly once received. Please provide as much information as possible, as it will allow for a more thorough and accurate dispute resolution. If you do choose to dispute a claim, we ask for your patience. Reviewing disputes is a time-consuming process. We hope you find this information helpful.
