Live data from Hacker News

YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

github.com

81–90 of 1001 posts

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#81
post #50

You can download the most recent version of the YouTube-DL code from Wayback Machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201018144703/https://github.co... Fuck the RIAA

ok so I might just be stupid but how does that link let me clone the repo?.....

https://web.archive.org/web/20201018130325/https://codeload.... is a link to zip of master from commit 4eda10499e8db831167062b0e0dbc7d10d34c1f9, which was around 18/10/2020

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#82

I’ll admit that I’m ignorant of US law specifics here, and I’m not sure about YouTube’s DRM and/or policy regarding downloading videos is. So I’ll ask: is this DMCA request justified? Why would the RIAA be going after YouTube-dl, rather than Google? Wouldn’t it make more sense for the RIAA to go after YouTube instead?

The RIAA's logic is that a youtube-dl user is equivalent to someone in a movie theater with a video camera. The situation they're concerned about is somebody downloading a music video that they've authorized to be on Youtube. They make money on Youtube views, but they're losing precious fractions of a cent when you download it and watch it offline. This is obviously not ethically justified, but I have no idea if it's…

The problem with their argument is that youtube-dl is a video camera. The US has already rules that video cameras, VCRs, DVD recorders, etc are all devices with legitimate uses, and you can't stop them from being made or sold. A movie theater is within its rights to ask patrons using video cameras to leave, and Google would be within its rights to lock down Youtube.

The RIAA is fishing, and all the precedents are against them pulling up even a minnow.

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#83
post #71
post #24

This needs free legal assistance from EFF and needs to go to court if RIAA is actually ready to litigate this

I don't think Microsoft needs the EFFs help.

Youtube-dl is not a Microsoft's project. If they send a counter-notice to GitHub (they should), per DMCA Youtube-dl is exposed for liability when GitHub restores the repository (but GitHub is shielded from liability after they restore)

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#84
Is there an alternative to github that is resistant to denial of service attacks^1 like this?

1: At this time this is just a baseless accusation and there are no repercussions to the RIAA for blatant abuse. Why wouldn't they simply send a takedown for anything they don't like no matter whether it is legal or not?

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#85
post #4

Note that RIAA is making this takedown because the software CAN be used to download copyrighted music and videos, and it uses examples in the ~~README~~(unit tests, see correction[1]) as an example of that: > We also note that the source code prominently includes as sample uses of the source code the downloading of copies of our members’ copyrighted sound recordings and music videos, as noted in Exhibit A hereto. For…

Conversely, the RIAA is making its media available on a known, at-risk platform to attain distribution. They're not protecting their copyright sufficiently, and the copyrights should be revoked.

I can't wait for ML to lower the barrier to entry for music to near nil. Make anyone a vocalist or instrumentalist and hose these assholes.

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#86
I'm very scared by this. youtube-dl needs somewhat frequent updates as Google moves the youtube codebase around. I'm worried that the RIAA's next move, now that it's starting to get inconvenient to get youtube-dl, will be to make Youtube change in some way to make existing copies of youtube-dl no longer work.

youtube-dl has been my primary way of getting videos since I learned about it. If the RIAA manages to kill it, my ability to partake in culture will be severely limited.

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#87

Isn't there a 1st-amendment exception for code? The code isn't violating any copyright.

I remember books (with the code inside) being used as a workaround for cryptography export controls.

I wonder if the same could apply here (if this notice holds up to begin with), either as a book with code, or as a book with instructions in English language that are equivalent to what the code does.

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#89
post #37
post #4

Note that RIAA is making this takedown because the software CAN be used to download copyrighted music and videos, and it uses examples in the ~~README~~(unit tests, see correction[1]) as an example of that: > We also note that the source code prominently includes as sample uses of the source code the downloading of copies of our members’ copyrighted sound recordings and music videos, as noted in Exhibit A hereto. For…

I was thinking the same thing: The next step following this line of thinking would be trying to ban all torrent clients, because they CAN be used to download copyrighted material. This is crazy.

The RIAA would absolutely ban all torrent clients if they could. If one advertises itself as a way to download copyrighted material, they would try to pull the exact same thing.

Re: YouTube-dl has received a DMCA takedown from RIAA

#90
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was thinking the same thing: The next step following this line of thinking would be trying to ban all torrent clients, because they CAN be used to download copyrighted material. This is crazy.

Why stop with torrent clients? They should ban all browsers, because they CAN be used to download copyrighted materials!

Browsers?

We need to ban radios with tape decks and TVs with VCRs! The audio cassette and the VHS are bringing the downfall of the music industry with how easily they can be used to create unauthorized copies!

Oh wait.

Post reply on HN