Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram start enforcing copyrights

Update: Please note this info.

The copyright reform was passed last week. Due to these regulations, major streaming services and video hosts such as YouTube, Twitch or Azubu/Hitbox will be liable in the future for content that users illegally upload or stream.

In an unusual alliance, the three providers have now announced that they will respond in Europe, setting a deadline for all users until the middle of the month. Since most streamers and YouTubers do not use an imprint contrary to clear regulations and cannot show the necessary licenses contrary to applicable copyright law, esport teams and gaming streamers are probably especially affected by the initiative of YouTube, Twitch and Hitbox. They must now have a mandatory imprint, disclose all marketers, and upload written licenses for every single video and stream.

YouTube has already provided forms for this purpose.

Each streamer and YouTuber is also to be contacted again later this week. I have already received the first letters to clients in this regard. In it, everyone is asked to take the actions described above, with very short deadlines. Starting next week, YouTube will begin permanently deleting all videos from esports and gaming channels that are not licensed. Twitch has announced that starting Wednesday, it will suspend Twitch streaming accounts that have not submitted documentation, delete the archives, and not release the accounts until all documentation is received.

It is to be expected that Twitter will follow suit. Twitter has announced that it will block the retweet function as soon as it is technically possible and will only release it in individual cases against appropriate proof of license. At Instagram, they are probably working on enabling another upload option for signed consent forms when uploading photos. Without such, no photo could be uploaded in the future. This should be released in the next few days.

Author: Marian Härtel

Marian Härtel ist Rechtsanwalt und Fachanwalt für IT-Recht mit einer über 25-jährigen Erfahrung als Unternehmer und Berater in den Bereichen Games, E-Sport, Blockchain, SaaS und Künstliche Intelligenz. Seine Beratungsschwerpunkte umfassen neben dem IT-Recht insbesondere das Urheberrecht, Medienrecht sowie Wettbewerbsrecht. Er betreut schwerpunktmäßig Start-ups, Agenturen und Influencer, die er in strategischen Fragen, komplexen Vertragsangelegenheiten sowie bei Investitionsprojekten begleitet. Dabei zeichnet sich seine Beratung durch einen interdisziplinären Ansatz aus, der juristische Expertise und langjährige unternehmerische Erfahrung miteinander verbindet. Ziel seiner Tätigkeit ist stets, Mandanten praxisorientierte Lösungen anzubieten und rechtlich fundierte Unterstützung bei der Umsetzung innovativer Geschäftsmodelle zu gewährleisten.