Music publishers recently sent out around 1,000 DMCA takedown notifications to streamers on Twitch, according to an email sent to affiliates and partners by the platform early this morning.
In an attempt to inform streamers, Twitch sent out the email detailing exactly what the notices were about and telling creators what they can do to protect their channel.
The new batch of notices was all related to VODs, not livestreams, and the “vast majority” were for streamers listening to music in the background of their stream while playing video games or doing other content.
Twitch is under the impression that publishing companies used automation to track copyrighted material and send out notices.
“Based on the number of claims, we believe these rights holders used automated tools to scan and identify copyrighted music in creators’ VODs and Clips, which means that they will likely send further notices,” the email reads. “We are actively speaking with music labels about solutions that could work for creators as well as rights holders. This is our first such contact from the music publishing industry (there can be several owners for a single piece of music), and we are disappointed they decided to send takedowns when we are willing and ready to speak to them about solutions.”
Twitch did not specify in its email which publishers were sending the DMCA takedown notices.
Creators on the platform received a slew of notices at two separate times last year, once in the summer and again during the fall.
The ongoing situation has led to Twitch implementing numerous changes to help creators unpublish VODs so that they can review them to make sure they don’t have copyrighted material.
The platform also began a search to hire an executive who’s equipped to handle issues related to music rights.
So far, the platform’s only solution for streamers has been to not stream music that they may not have the rights to and to delete VODs that could include copyrighted materials.
Right now, the platform uses a three-strike system as it pertains to copyright issues. If a channel accumulates three copyright strikes, that channel “may be terminated.”
