Two video bloggers have been threatened to pay £4,600 or risk losing access to their YouTube channels in a copyright case involving a cat, reports reveal.
According to the BBC, ‘YouTubers’ MxR and Potastic Panda are wrapped up in a legal battle with media company Jukin Media, which claims that the pair breached its copyright on four different occasions.
The video makers – who have audiences in the millions – are most well known for their ‘reaction’ type videos, where they provide commentary over viral and popular online content.
However, Jukin Media claims that the YouTubers stole its content, including a whimsical video of a cat, and profited off it after filing four separate claims of copyright against the channel.
Under YouTube guidelines, a channel can receive a maximum of three copyright strikes before it is suspended or permanently removed.
According to MxR, real name Henry Liang, Jukin Media could effectively wipe the pair’s channel and its content if they fail to pay the £4,500 it is demanding.
Commenting on the case, Mr Liang said: “Today we got hit with a huge bill of $6,000 (£4,500). I think it’s because in the past we’ve paid them about $2,000 (£1,500).
“If you don’t pay they’ll start striking your channel – they’ll basically remove our channel if we don’t pay them.”
Jukin Media, meanwhile, released a statement regarding the alleged breaches of copyright.
“As we’ve mentioned repeatedly, you can completely avoid any issues related to copyright by simply licensing videos on our website. In effect, you’re taking other peoples’ videos without asking them, then posting them to your channel and making money off of them,” it reads.
“We never want to issue copyright strikes – we have a duty to do so to protect the copyright of the creators who have signed with us.”
The case serves as a warning for other online content creators to be aware of the legal consequences of using another’s copyright, unwittingly or not.
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