Meth Video: YouTube Video Flagged?

Published August 12, 2011

Question by Vampire17: YouTube Video Flagged?
My YouTube video “Just to Get High” (fmv to Nickelback’s “Just to Get High”) was just flagged as inappropriate. It has been up for a year, and I have received no complaints whatsoever; rather the opposite. People were telling me that it was a good video, and should help people not want to do drugs. That was the purpose of the video in the first place. It showed the side effects of Meth and other drugs without sugar coating it. The clips I used were from the Montana Meth Project, and these ads can still be found on YouTube. I believe that someone flagged it off site, or possibly it was just someone being a jerk, and decided to get rid of it for the heck of it. There was no copyright infringement involved.
I know how to appeal, I just need something to say that would actually make the YouTube staff change their minds.

Best answer:

Answer by Business Sarah
I may not be understanding this fully, but if you’re saying that you used Nickelback’s song as a background to your video, doing so without their permission (or the permision of their performing rights agency) would be considered copyright infringement — even though your purpose is noble and you are not collecting money. Copyright law makes no mention of either of these factors when determining what is considered infringement.

Additionally, anything lifted from Montana Meth Project ads could also be copyrighted. I wasn’t able to find this information on their website specifically — but I did find that their website itself has been copyrighted, which you’ll notice at the bottom of their page.

As copyright infringement includes using any previously copyrighted material without permission for a use that is not considered fair use, you may, in fact, be committing copyright infringement. However, if you have not used any copyrighted material, or if you have received permission to use any copyrighted material, it should be a simple matter of showing YouTube a copy of that permission (or telling them you did not use copyrighted material).

Good luck — I hope I’ve clarified what constituted copyright infringement.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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