IODA and Copyright on YouTube

IODA and Copyright on YouTube

In 2010, the Finders Keepers markets asked us (Eli Murray, Lukasz Karluk and myself) to create a promotional video of sorts for their talk at Creative Sydney. We used a segment of Eli’s music (otherwise known as Gentleforce) for the clip and I posted it to YouTube. A few days ago, YouTube sent me a copyright claim on the video, which came from some acronymic non-identity called IODA.

That was all I saw: “IODA has made a copyright claim on your video”. Sounded like some joker was messing with the copyright claim system on YouTube, so I responded on the automated system by ticking a box that said something along the lines of: “no, IODA is mistaken. There shouldn’t be any copyright claim on this video.” I thought that would be the end of it. Instead, I got a prompt reply from YouTube:

IODA has reviewed your dispute and reinstated its copyright claim on your video, “The Finders Keepers – Making It Happen”. For more information, please visit your Copyright Notices page

Yours sincerely,
– The YouTube Team

That’s it. No further correspondance will be entered into. Frankly it pissed me off, so I tried to find out who this IODA is… Turns out they are a digital distribution company, with a rich history of stamping their claim on YouTube videos.

Gentleforce is indeed on the IODA catalogue, though I’m not alone in thinking they’re overstating their rights by placing copyright claims on videos like this. Tom Ellard speaks of his experience in detail and has now left YouTube in favor of Vimeo because of his own similar run-in with IODA – I’ll be doing the same. The Sony-owned-IODA (“independent” my arse) is desperately trying to get their slice of the YouTube advertising pie, and whilst our little video certainly isn’t getting the level of views that Ellard’s would be, Sony can look elsewhere to make easy money.

Cashing in on the work of others has been the major record label model for decades – and instead of evolving, they’re hanging onto that, kicking and screaming. Maybe it would be best if they were put out of our misery and artists finally took back copyright control. Up yours, Sony. And YouTube for bending to this kind of behaviour – I’m out.

Oh, and here’s our video on Vimeo…

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4 thoughts on “IODA and Copyright on YouTube”

  • I just disputed a claim they made last night on a recording which is over 50 years old at least, and probably over 70 years old and made from the original 78rpm recording, so its well out of copyright. I’m still awaiting the outcome.

  • It happened to me as well for a composition that is registered to my name in the Library of Congress, is found in three publications by a well-established publisher, Advance Music so I have no idea what IODAs claim may be except maybe photos I culled from the images part of Google. Google ‘Small Feats’ by Ron Miller, the evidence is there.’

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