If copyright concerns over music used during a freestyle performance is such a big deal then I’m surprised that U.S. regional and national competitions allow songs to be used at all. Somehow I don’t think copyright infringement is really the issue here.
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It is an issue!
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Music played in public normally has to be licensed by ASCAP, BMI… I think there’s another one too. I think it’d be easy for contest organizers to get a license for the day or two of the contest. That covers the live performance, not replaying it on YouTube or other.
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The common practice of using whatever music a player wants for their freestyle, without any objection from the contest organizers, and no legal action on the part of the record companies suggests otherwise.
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Generally the copyright holders would be hard pressed to know that some scalawag used their music in a yoyo freestyle unless notified by someone. Posting a video on youtube is an entirely different situation, as they monitor youtube continuously for infringers. So yes, copyright infringement is the issue here. There is no other viable reason for it to be blocked, especially since the notification says it was blocked by Warner Music. That’s their business.
There was a case recently where a woman made a video of her 2 or 3 year old kid dancing to either a Prince or Michael Jackson song. She was forced to take it down by the copyright holders.
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That is one of countless examples of how IP law in this country has become tragically distorted and perverted by massive entertainment conglomerates. We as a society have completely lost sight of the spirit and original intent of copyright laws.
Unfortunately, I don’t see any course correction in our future; if anything it will continue to evolve to only benefit huge corporations and their shareholders, leaving private individuals twisting in the wind. (To say nothing of the damage done to the broader cultural landscape and the once fertile soil of creativity that had for millennia benefited from freely borrowing, transforming, and adapting–but not outright stealing–the works of both previous and contemporary creators.)
In fact, I would argue that Warner Brothers–and all the media conglomerates for that matter–are applying economic pressure (on YouTube) to achieve a measure of control that no court would award through legal challenge.
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I was pretty mad too, however his nationals this year was unmuted
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I may be crazy, but I’m pretty sure I watched his worlds or nationals freestyle the other day with no issues.
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Incredible. You can sense the energy and passion, and it was well choreographed.
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If I played copyrighted songs backwards, would it violate copyright infringement. Hmm
