What is copyright?
Any original work, be it a song, a video, or a text, can be protected by copyright. The so-called "copyright" consists of protection that the law grants to the owners to protect the copyrights of their work.
These rights guarantee the creator the benefits that arise as a function of the use by third parties of his work. People are not prohibited from using materials created by others, as long as they pay for it.
For example, old movies like Star Wars, which continue to be successful even many years after their release, are repeatedly used in the entertainment industry, which means their authors still charge for disclosure.
The same goes for hit songs. Whenever an artist re-records a song that is not his, the creators charge for it.
Which contents are subject to copyright
They are audiovisual materials, such as:
- video clips;
- novels;
- TV shows;
- songs;
- events such as conferences, seminars, among others;
- digitized books;
- scores;
- Scientific articles;
- web series;
- videos made by YouTubers;
- visual arts;
- software;
- works of art, such as plays and shows.
What is accepted on the platform?
YouTube values the original content published by its users. It should be remembered that it is possible to create different materials, such as footage and audio, using technological resources. Valuing originality is the best way to ensure that you are always by the site's requirements.
However, it is still possible to use materials protected by copyright, provided that there is case law for this. In that case, it depends on each piece and the laws that protect it from knowing whether or not the material can be used.
The most important thing is to know that there is always someone who created a certain content and must charge for its disclosure. Thus, avoiding violating the rights of that person, you will be far from problems.
What music and videos can be used
Original materials, those that have the authorization of their owners, or those in the public domain also.
Don't you know what the public domain is? This is when the work ceases to belong to its author and passes under the state's control. Thus, this is available for free use by anyone interested. This depends on the time elapsed since the publication of the work.
As an example, we can cite the case of the Beatles song "Love Me Do," which, in 2013, became public domain after 50 years of its creation. In the European Union, the criteria are different from places like the United States, for example, where the rights of authors over their works can reach 95 years.
What to do to avoid copyright problems on YouTube
The first recommendation is to value the production of authentic content. Seek, whenever possible, to create your own material or have content released by its authors. Using public domain works is also a valid alternative, as this will allow you to work with quality materials released for disclosure.
There are also so-called permissive licenses, as is the case with Creative Commons. The problem is that, in such cases, you will hardly be able to make commercial use of the works for your material.
Depending on the type of video you produce, it is also possible to work with short sections of protected works, provided that their integrality is respected.
In short, knowing the laws that regulate your activity in an online environment is essential to ensure that your content is not unnecessarily penalized. Therefore, pay attention to what you can and what you cannot do to guarantee your material's safety.
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