YouTube is the largest video platform, with billions of videos being watched every day, so it needs to work hard to monitor the growing network. With so many videos to monitor, YouTube faces a number of copyright infringement allegations.
While “copyrighted” content means that the content is unique to the originator, YouTube does leave room for “fair use” which opens the door to misuse and abuse. To have their video reinstated, Youtubers often have to appeal copyright strike rulings.
You may need this post: The Best Royalty Free Stock Video Footage Websites.
How to Avoid Copyright on YouTube?
If you want to know how to avoid copyright on YouTube, the following part will offer you 7 tips.
#1 – Use Royalty Free Music for YouTube for Uploads
How to avoid copyright on YouTube? Firstly, don’t use music from big labels because they will benefit from the content you upload, which is basically theirs. They have copyright notices in place that redirect any revenue you earn into their adsense account.
Better safe than sorry. Thus, you need to figure out which content channels allow free video sharing.
Further reading: Get Free Music from YouTube Audio Library.
#2 – Upload Original Footage
Uploading footage from your own camera prevents other sources from accessing your content.
Make sure that when you snap a photo from your device, it has no other personal business name, logo, product name or anything else that could be subject to copyright infringement. YouTube cannot block or copyright strike your videos by editing information that is not its own.
#3 – Never Upload Sensitive or Harmful Content
After Logan Paul posted a video of a corpse on YouTube, the platform now has stricter rules on what can be uploaded. Be sure to use the right language on video sharing sites. Also, do not show nudity or discuss explicit content, as this will put the channel at risk of termination.
YouTube is more protective of minors than other platforms. Therefore, be careful when posting content that is not suitable for children.
You can consider uploading public knowledge content. Many gossip channels post videos about celebrities, but only focus on topics that have been publicly posted on blogs. This can avoid copyright strikes or legal claims, as the law protects citizens from “defamation” claims by celebrities.
However, discussing personal secrets or information harmful to ordinary citizens can exposes you to lawsuits.
#4 – Make Extreme Edits
There’s a great music video that you can’t resist putting on your channel. The only problem is that YouTube will take it down, but extreme editing will give you a warning to still post videos claiming “fair use.”
#5 – Post Family Friendly Entertainment Characters
YouTube opposes videos featuring domestic violence characters. Advertisers don’t place ads on such videos, and YouTube may consider demonetizing or blocking your channel.
#6 – Add FBI Content Warning
A good way to avoid a copyright strike is to include an FBI content warning in the video’s introduction. This means you are in no way asking for original work and following the fair use policy to protect your videos from warnings of copyright strikes.
#7 – Watermark and Copyright Your Videos
You should add a logo to your video. This is a great way to prevent others from using your content without giving credit.
Many Youtubers enjoy the free promotion offered by others using their videos, however, without the watermark, copycats can easily claim full ownership.
Another way to authenticate your video is to get the copyright. The Copyrighted.com site is free and easy to use. It uses fingerprint technology to create a unique identifier for each video. With fingerprints, you can claim your property and take legal action against theft.
Bottom Line
After going through the 7 ways given above, now you should know how to avoid copyright on YouTube. Even if you take the necessary precautions, you can still be a victim of YouTube’s copyright policy.
Be prepared to fully demonstrate your ownership. If you feel that someone has made a false claim against you, ask YouTube who the claimant is and be sure to file a counterclaim to protect you if their actions are malicious.