YouTube News Police blaring copyrighted music to prevent users from uploading videos to YouTube

[MattCommand1]

More and more police are using a controversial strategy so that video uploads to YouTube about the police are NOT successful.

Essentially, most people know that YT has very aggressive measures to detect copyright violations. More and more police are blaring loud copyrighted music so that if anyone records a video about the police and then tries to upload it, the background music will trigger YT copyright violation measures.

Essentially, the police are using YT's mechanism against the general public to prevent users from sharing videos about what police are doing. There are several articles below that explain this controversial strategy used by many police departments.

Citizens have the First Amendment right to record what the police do publicly but if they play loud music, it makes it hard to post to YouTube which is an abuse of the YT copyright detection system.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/04/12/santa-ana-police-disney-music/

What Cops Understand About Copyright Filters: They Prevent Legal Speech

It's a shocking attempt to thwart activists’ First Amendment right to record the police—and a practical demonstration that cops understand what too many policymakers do not: copyright can offer an easy way to shut down lawful expression.

www.eff.org

Cop Was Instructed to Use Music to Disrupt Filming

Police are playing copyrighted music while being filmed to prevent activists from uploading the video; one in Illinois says he was "advised" to do so.

www.vice.com

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

I heard about that, pretty funny. It still counts as fair use since you are in public and are not intentional in the use of the music, so it can be appealed. Strange way to try and circumvent the scrutiny.

 

[MattCommand1]

I think only the most determined and knowledgeable people will go through the YT appeal process. Casual users of YT will probably get stopped in their tracks pretty quickly.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

I think only the most determined and knowledgeable people will go through the YT appeal process. Casual users of YT will probably get stopped in their tracks pretty quickly.

Very true... and this will help to curb some of the tools who enjoy posting out of context vids for the sake of virality.

 

[Tito Tim]

If I had a video like that, the music would likely make me more inclined to post it. I would point out that the cops did it intentionally. And if BMG wants to claim the revenue.. that will probably just get the video that much more exposure. I am convinced the bigger companies get promoted more by YT. It makes the cops look bad, and gets promoted more - a win win.