Activision squashing Call of Duty glitch videos
Machinima cautions content creators as publisher says it's targeting cheats and competitive exploits
As YouTube's importance to the gaming industry has grown, so too have concerns among publishers about how user-made video clips portray their products. As reported by Kotaku, the latest example comes from Activision, which has been flagging YouTube accounts for copyright violations if they post videos highlighting Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare glitches.
The move came to light when Machinima warned content creators in its network that the publisher was being aggressive in going after such videos, as it could result in copyright strikes against their account. A single strike on an account prevents the user from uploading unlisted videos, clips longer than 15 minutes, anything using a Creative Commons license, or other specific features. Three strikes against an account results in a permanent ban of the user, with their account terminated and all videos deleted. (Strikes can expire if the user goes six months without another strike, or if the claim is retracted; users can also challenge strikes.)
An Activision representative addressed the strike claims, saying they were more about ensuring competitive balance than punishing anyone for making the game look bad.
"We're excited that so many fans are having fun playing the game and posting videos of their gameplay," the representative said. "We love watching the videos ourselves. Occasionally, some folks post videos that promote cheating and unfair exploits. As always, we keep an eye out for these videos--our level of video claims hasn't changed. We are appreciative of the community's support in helping to ensure that everyone has the best playing experience possible."
Companies big and small have grappled with the question of how to exercise their copyrights over YouTube clips. Last year, developer Wild Games Studios was accused of using content claims to stifle critical reviews of its game Day One: Garry's Incident, while Nintendo used the site's "content ID match" system to claim monetization rights on videos featuring its games.