Recent Copyright Claims Affecting Miku Youtube Videos

Recently, YouTube videos with popular Vocaloid songs, either re-uploaded from NicoNicoDouga or fansubbed, have been taken down via YouTube’s Copyright Infringement Notification system. As a result, uploaders with many songs that were taken down have had their accounts closed by YouTube’s three-strikes system that was designed to discourage repeat offenders. However, many people have raised doubts as to whether this recent set of mass copyright claims were by entities who actually possessed rights to the content. YouTube’s automated system allows a video to be taken down by anyone who submits a claim; no proof that such a person is authorized by the copyright holder is required beforehand. Please read on for more information about these suspected false claims.

Volunteers from the “savemiku movement” have compiled a list of both accounts that were taken down as well as single videos that were taken down (while the accounts that uploaded them remained alive). From the single videos list, many of the them were taken down by what are believed to be false names that vary slightly from video to video: 笹金純一 (Sasagane Junichi), 笹川純一 (Sasagawa Junichi), 笹村純一 (Sasamura Junichi), 笹純一 (Sasa Junichi), 笹口純一 (Sasaguchi Junichi), 笹家純一 (Sasaya Junichi), 笹峰純一 (Sasamine Junichi) and 笹磯純一 (Sasaiso? Junichi). In fact, the last one doesn’t even have a very plausible Japanese last name. Furthermore, two wowaka videos were known to have been taken down by an entity by the name of “Shenzhen Eri”, which doesn’t seem to match the record label that released wowaka’s Unhappy Refrain, balloom. According to Google, Shenzhen ERI happens to be an electronics components maker in China.

From the accounts list, fans put together information about each account and noted accounts that were possibly taken down due to illegitimate claims as well as what videos they had hosted could’ve contributed to the takedown. Basically, once an account is taken down, all videos hosted on the account would list entities that submitted the takedowns, so it’s not possible to directly see what videos led to the takedown and what entities sent the takedowns. Examples of accounts that may have been taken down due to illegitimate claims include: Turrent, xxKMSakura, and KiokuSubs.

The savemiku movement has been encouraging people who believe they were the target of false claims to submit a counter-claim. Although a counter-claim opens the submitter to legal process, the idea is that if these were fake claims, then the entity who sent the takedown wouldn’t have the legal power or the money to actually follow through.

Many users may have also received copyright claims from “CRYPTON_FUTURE_MEDIA”, however the entity that is claiming the content is actually Crypton Future Media, Inc., and they do not take down the videos. Crypton Future Media only tags video with content that is protected under the KarenT label, and places advertisements on the video where views or ad clicks would generate profits that they distribute to the original creators. Crypton may also tag videos with copyrighted content under the name of “Original Creator“.

Furthermore, a few videos seems to have been taken down by “TOYSFACTORY JP”. This is actually the record label that livetune is a member of. When asked about these takedowns, kz looked into the matter and tweeted that there were some erroneous takedowns initiated by TOY’S FACTORY due to a misunderstanding and that those takedowns have now been rescinded.

YouTube has become the main place for the whole world to experience Vocaloid, and learn for it first hand. Crypton has officially acknowledged YouTube by basing MIKUBOOK, their social networking project, on YouTube as well as opening their own Miku channel. Even producers such as 40mP and ZANEEDS have official Youtube channels (the full list can be found at ofurotaimu) that they post new songs to in addition to NicoNicoDouga. Google Japan also appeals to the worldwide user base by creating a commercial for its Chrome web browser. Just be careful, and if you believe that a false copyright claim has been made, submit a counter-claim through the YouTube Copyright Center. The savemiku movement is also looking for anyone with more information with regards to this matter, so please try to contact them if you have anything useful.

Sources: Getnews, Savemiku @ Wiki, Original Creator
Special thanks to hightrancesea for helping me write this article.

About: Pengy


23 thoughts on “Recent Copyright Claims Affecting Miku Youtube Videos”

    1. It might not be new, but I’ve heard it’s expanding. Supposedly, more and more videos are being taken down without valid claims.

  1. Thanks a lot for the write-up! It was really helpful. Although I like reprinting of videos on Youtube (when the producer has a YT channel themselves), I do enjoy the ones that are subbed or get permission from the producers. I get the feeling someone’s really trolling here :/ 

    EDIT: Also I forgot I was logged in the ofurotaimu twitter account. OTL this is Stephie here.

  2. Thanks for the informative article.  While I heard this issue mentioned elsewhere they didn’t go into nearly this much detail.

  3. Look everyone, this is what happens when you start cracking down on piracy: censorship.

    But what is piracy? The ‘illegal downloading of files’? ‘It’s illegal so it’s bad’? iTunes is one
    thing: you’re being given a license to the music, not the actual music.

    But if I buy a CD, it’s technically my property, and I’m free to do with
    it as I wish…even share it with 1,000,000 of my closest friends (as
    long as it’s for personal use). This is called the ‘fair use’ clause:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
    (^quote from the page: “Fair use is only one of many limitations, exceptions, and defenses to copyright infringement. For instance, the Audio Home Recording Act establishes that it is legal in some circumstances to make copies of audio recordings for non-commercial personal use”

    It becomes illegal when you start selling the copies you made. That’s
    because the company has copyrights to the software (with the exception
    of the Fair Use clause and other limitations on the exclusivity rights copyright provides).

    But forget CDs, this is the re-uploading of videos…that were uploaded
    for the public to see for free in the first place. It’s absurd. The
    entertainment industry really pushes its boundaries to control the
    advertisement of its own products.

    (Please note I’m flaming specifically at the US entertainment industry. Yeah, the guys who brought SOPA to the table.)

    (To anyone who wants to counter-rage at me for being a pirate who never supports the creators:

    http://i.imgur.com/eVsti.png )

  4. Well this isn’t a censorship issue as much as an organized trolling effort it seems like. All the major financial entities are not involved and in fact it really doesn’t benefit them to be doing much of this.

    1. I think Ben is right, it is a censorship issue. Why ? Because this trolling has been made possible in the first place by the greedy bastards of the MAFIAA who forced Google to setup this flawed Copyright Claim procedure.

      In any civilized and free country, you are supposed innocent until proved guilty. But in the mindset of the music majors everyone is a pirate and potentially guilty: you the end-user and little guy need to prove you’re not guilty as if you were running a counterfeit-business.

      A fair system would require the complaining party to prove their claim before the video is blocked, and more importantly allow a user to exert it’s fair use rights (parody, etc.). This is not the case, and this is just a foretaste of what the future will be if you allow laws like SOPA/PIPA/ACTA to be pushed by corrupted (but mostly clueless) politicians.

      We the Vocaloid community have build something on the concept of sharing, this is the exact opposite of the control the music majors want. And it’s slap in their face because we’ve shown their lies about piracy by spending money for the artists we love without the need for a copyright police.

      1. The problem with proof before action is that you’re also then requiring Google to hire more people to review takedown notices as they come in, which is an unfair burden on Google should companies with deep pockets decide to spam takedown notices.  Ideally, what would be best would be a law that says that once you receive a DMCA takedown, you inform your user of it and say they have X number of days to file a counter-claim notice or their video gets taken down.  If the user believes it is erroneous, then they can file that counter-claim which shifts the burden of proof onto the initiator of the takedown automatically and they’ll have to prove it in a court of law (at least in the US).

    1.  Not everyone can understand Japanese, and to be honest, youtube is probably why the Vocaloid community is so big today (but then again… it does bring in the people that aren’t the brightest). And even if one person on youtube gets taken down, theres still a bunch of other people that reprint the videos to youtube.

      1. Both NicoNicoDouga and YouTube are crucial to the Vocaloid community, and each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages.

        This incident won’t hit so hard personally if you can go and watch the original instead of the reprint.

        You don’t need to read Japanese to use NND. And you can always use the English NND to familarize yourself with the site.

  5. pffuuu i thought if you bought the vocaloid synth the songs you made is your copyright!! so if you post it on any site no one can  say thats illegal. . .

    miku songs on youtube are usually from niconicodouga or from the users of the synth itself so i dont see why youtube is deleting them =w= 
    because of this my playlist got blanks

    please dont abuse sopa it was paused!!if someone is just playing a prank stop it it’s annoying!!

    if the government or some group that is connected to is involved then you have to deal with us fans!!

    1. If you make a song with Hatsune Miku, then yes, you own the copyright to that song.  You, however, have no right to use the character herself, including the name, without agreeing to Crypton’s license agreement.  For example, you cannot sell Miku songs specifically marked as such without a prior agreement with Crypton.  Furthermore, if I make a song with Miku, *I* own the copyright.  It doesn’t let *you* repost it anywhere without my permission.  Now if I uploaded it on PIAPRO, then you can repost it because PIAPRO requires creators to give permission for sharing their content.

      In short, legally, the song creator owns the song, Crypton owns the character, and random dude on the Internet has no rights to either without prior consent.

  6. GO MIKU FOREVER.
    I support free use online in every way, but it really depends on if the people sharing the albums are selling them for personal profit… But I don’t see any Vocaloid sharers doing that, so I’m not sure I see the problem… 😛

  7. Honestly I think they were taken down because someone couldn’t stand all the weeaboo/ idiotic comments on the videos. But that’s my theory, anyway

  8. Youtube needs to take a chill pill =_=”
    Nobody is making a profit out of it, so stop taking down all these videos with Miku! Good lord >.>
    Here we go again…DX //plays Disappearance of Hatsune Miku

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