User blog:WaglingtonŒ/Where's The Fair Use?

Youtube has always had a very distinct problem in the form of broken strike systems and copyright claims. But in the past few months, this problem has been dialed right up to 10. On a daily basis, channels are bring striked and even deleted for false copyright claims which they cannot dispute and are forced to suffer the consequence for. Worst of all, the higher-ups have done little to nothing to acknowledge the problem even as awareness is raised on a global scale.

This matters more than you realize. Free speech is being massively smothered and this needs to end now. Right now, the U.S. Copyright Office wants to hear what's wrong with the DMCA and they need your input '''before end of day on Friday. 'Trust me, your voice matters. ''Even if you just sign your name, you're letting everyone know that this has gone on long enough and it's time to put a stop to it.

To tell the US copyright office enough is enough, sign your name here.

"The Internet flourishes because all of the stuff people make and share. But, there's a force that has kept works off the Internet entirely, making it so that there's a whole host of content that most us never get to see or hear. The current notice and takedown system for copyright unnecessarily allows for abuse. With the current DMCA rules, copyright holders can censor and takedown practically any online content, just by saying that it infringes their copyright—no court order or oversight required. It's time to bring fair use back to the Internet.

The DMCA was created to help curb piracy, but all too often it is abused to censor content with valid free speech or fair use rights. Video and music creators are having their work taken down and their income stolen by big corporations who bet that nobody has the legal resources to challenge them. And even when people successfully challenge a takedown and get their work restored, oftentimes there is lasting harm done to their reputation or income.

It's time to take a hard look at the DMCA. A clear fix to the current system is to impose penalties on corporations who abuse the DMCA by issuing false takedowns."

For more on the subject, hear a firsthand accountof what's been happening these last few months.