Twitch Warns Streamers VODs will get DMCA Strikes (Again)

Less than five months after Twitch published a stark warning on their blog about the coming waves of copyright strikes against video game streamers, Twitch has once again sent out an email to partners with more dire news. This time, it's not about the streams themselves, but the recordings of the live streams that are added to the channels later.

Videos on demand (or VODs) of existing Twitch streams have become the latest target of the Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA,) and Warner Music Group, in their never-ending war on the general public, as Twitch warns of thousands of live stream copyright claims filed against Twitch partners as a result of the Digital Millennium Copyright act. (DMCA.)

As a result, several popular streamers have already had multiple DMCA strikes on videos from months -even several years- ago, and if the trend continues, several of your favorite streamers can be banned from the platform overnight.

One popular Minecraft streamer Tubbo is already on the verge of losing his account, garnering several copyright strikes already as the result of Music he plays in the background while he streams.

i seriously do hope that tubbo takes the DMCA stuff seriously because if he doesn’t delete those vods with the copywrited music that he loses his alt, his main AND his ability to be on other people’s streams

— max (@tubbosoot) May 28, 2021

To make matters worse, if there has already a claim on a video, only the copyright claim holder can access the video at all. This means some old videos with claimed music can't be edidet or deleted, and the claims can pile up, even if its only from ONE video.

here's his tweet about ithttps://t.co/ZauyHmZGGL

— vanth 💥 (@vilburco) May 28, 2021

Yesterday, May 28th, Twitch sent out an email to partners, informing them that there were about 1000 individual strikes affecting a number of different channels, and that more are likely on their way.

We recently received a batch of DMCA takedown notifications with about 1,000 individual claims from music publishers. All of the claims are for VODs, and the vast majority target streamers listening to background music while playing video games or IRL streaming.

Twitch is suggesting users combat the onslaught of DMCA claims on VODs by deleting as many them as possible from their channels, as soon as possible.

Some are worrying that this measure is not enough, and that Twitch needs to step up and do something about it. A popular World of Warcraft streamer Asmongold thinks it's time for Twitch streamers to openly call out the ridiculous copyright claims.

Another round of DMCA strikes going out on Twitch

Streamers and YouTubers should get together and bribe (lobby) politicians to change these ridiculous and antiquated laws

Embarrassing that the internet still follows a law written in 1998

— Zack (@Asmongold) May 28, 2021

Right now, dealing with the onslaught of dubious copyright claims on entire videos is like staring down the barrel of a gun, since the record labels that own all the background music currently hold all the power here. One has to wonder if deleting VODs to cover our tracks will be enough.

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