Nintendo YouTube Copyright Policy To Be Updated, But What’s New About It?
The Nintendo YouTube copyright policy is about to be updated, and proactive users will be relieved to know what’s changing.
Last year, Nintendo caught a lot of hate from YouTube channel users who depend on walkthroughs or “Let’s Play” videos as a source of income. This was because when Nintendo implemented a new copyright policy, they set an algorithm which caused any video using audio or video clips of their games or images over a certain length to be flagged. When a video was flagged with a copyright claim, Nintendo didn’t remove the video. Instead, they inserted an ad into the video to generate revenue split between Nintendo and YouTube’s owner, Google.
Alongside the failing sales of the Wii U and the decline of the 3DS, this was a bad move for Nintendo, whose YouTube copyright policy made gamers less apt to play their games or support them.
Let’s Play… Share the Revenue! Nintendo plots YouTube revenue-splitting affiliate program http://t.co/99qlEifebe | pic.twitter.com/VAfO6bih6b
— Joystiq (@joystiq) May 27, 2014
It seems that the video game company decided to change how the copyright claim works and possibly get more user-generated Nintendo content on YouTube again. Nintendo told the press about the changes:
“Nintendo has been permitting the use of Nintendo copyrighted material in videos on YouTube under appropriate circumstances. Advertisements may accompany those videos, and in keeping with previous policy that revenue is shared between YouTube and Nintendo. In addition, for those who wish to use the material more proactively, we are preparing an affiliate program in which a portion of the advertising profit is given to the creator. Details about this affiliate program will be announced in the future.”
Does this mean gamers who continue to post footage of their Nintendo game sessions will start gaining revenue from it again? While the Nintendo YouTube copyright policy didn’t reverse completely, at least now there is an incentive to keep posting videos it applies to. Nintendo and Google will still both receive revenue, but the money will be split yet again and given to the channel owner.
Yes, this means that if you plan on posting videos of races with your friends from Mario Kart 8, you won’t get full revenue, but you will get part of it now. The only catch is that Nintendo has to approve the video.
Videos which have been sitting there for months or don’t get much traffic might not get the same treatment though, since Nintendo seems to be aiming to reward users who post new videos regularly and engage a wide audience.
What do you think of the changes coming to the Nintendo YouTube copyright policy?
[image via edge-online]
