
I was yesterday years old when I learned thereās a word for something Iāve been fighting for months: CopyFraud. Itās not a new concept (or term).
Way back in college, I took a Mass Media Law class (taught by a brilliant professor) and learned way too much about intellectual property law, including copyright law. That was over 30 years ago.
While Copyright Law hasnāt really changed in the past 30 years, the World Wide Web has changed everything. And what was once (mostly) clearly in the public domain is nowā¦clearly used by corporations and other corrupt entities (see my personal ā(s)hit listā below) to gatekeep and try to profit on works they have no rights to. None.
Itās infuriating, to say the least. The internet was supposed to democratize information and make knowledge more accessible to everyone. But instead, weāre seeing the opposite: a few powerful entities claiming ownership over things they have no legal right to, simply because they can, and because they think they can get away with it.
And many of them are using Google and YouTubeās systems designed to reduce copyright abuse against creators who are well within their legal rights. Like myself. And yet, Google and YouTube seem unable/unwilling to address the problem in any meaningful way. They love being Judge, Jury, Appeals Court, and Executioner when it goes AGAINST creators, but they canāt seem to be bothered to do anything that helps creators stop the rampant abuseā¦and fraud. (See my un-original solution below)
RELATED READING
WHAT IS COPY FRAUD? (Microsoft)
COPYFRAUD (Wikipedia)
COPYFRAUD (NYU Law Review)
DEAR GOOGLE: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPOSITIONS EXIST
The term CopyFraud was coined by law professor Jason Mazzone back in 2006. He literally wrote a book on it. The practice is not only unethical but illegal in most cases. Yet, it happens all day every dayāusually with few, if any, consequences for the perpetrators. And despite saying they address the abuses, tech companies mostly seem more than willing to let CopyFraud continue on unchecked.
These copyright con-men and grifters take advantage of the complexity and confusion surrounding copyright law, especially about what is/isnāt in the public domain.
They bet on the fact that most people donāt know enough about copyright law to challenge them. And, unfortunately, theyāre usually right.
But that does not make it right. And so while Iām not an attorney, I fight. Each and every damn one of them. I report them. I make myself as much a pain in their ass as they have made themselves in mind. Becauseā¦principles matter.
Hereās how the game works: Many public domain worksāwhether old photographs, classical music recordings, or even ancient textsāare being slapped with dubious copyright claims by companies that had nothing to do with their creation. They might have merely digitized the content or slapped it onto a platform, and suddenly, theyāre acting as if they own it. Some have no other connection to the work than they found it on the internet, so they think theyāve struck GOLD.
This isnāt just annoying; itās a direct attack on the public domain, which is supposed to be a shared cultural resource for everyone. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. Not just companies and individuals hoping to profit on the ignorance of others.
CLINTāS COPYFRAUD (S)HIT LIST
Hereās a short list of some of the worst CopyFraud fraudsters and grifters:
STOCK AGENCIES
These companies have been caught repeatedly claiming copyright on images that are clearly in the public domain. Theyāll sell these images as if they own the rights, and if you try to use them without paying, you might get hit with a takedown notice or even a lawsuit.
COPYFRAUDSTERS (IMO) = ALAMY + BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY + GETTYMUSIC PUBLISHERS + SERVICES
Some of legitimate (and illegitimate music publishers) have been known to assert copyright over classical music compositions that are long past the copyright expiration date. They can/do often have rights recordings of those works, but claiming ownership of the compositions is a ridiculous and blatant attempt to profit from work that should be free for all to enjoy.
COPYFRAUDSTERS (IMO) = UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP + NAXOS DIGITAL SERVICES + SONY MUSIC + THE ORCHARD MUSIC + HEXACORP + LATINAUTOR + WARNER CHAPPELL + AND ON AND ON AND ONONLINE MARKETPLACES + SHOPS
Websites that allow users to sell vintage art prints or posters have been accused of removing listings and banning sellers who use public domain imagesāclaiming that the images are copyrighted when they are not.
COPYFRAUDSTERS (IMO) = EBAY + ETSY + SPRINGMUSEUMS + CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
Sadly, some private and public institutions which should be the stewards of our shared heritage, are engaging in CopyFraud. They claim copyright over digitized versions of artworks that are centuries old, restricting access to works that should belong to the public. This gatekeeping not only stifles creativity but also undermines the very purpose of these institutions. On the bright side, more and more institutions are making more and more of their works available for free.
COPYFRAUDSTERS (IMO) = MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON + TATE
YOUTUBE + CONTENT ID + COPYFRAUD = ABUSE
While I have experienced several problems since becoming part of the YouTube Partner Program, the two biggest problems revolve around YouTubeās Content ID system and Copyright Claim process.
This dynamic duo is a nightmare that small creators like myself know all too well.
NOTE: While Iām part of the YouTube Partner Program, I donāt consider myself a YouTube a āpartner.ā Because YouTube doesnāt treat me as one. They treat me and most creators like children and criminals. Iām in a program. They pay me as little as AdSense as possibleā¦and pay me even less respect. I now return the favor.
Try using music in the public domain (or even covered under a Creative Commons license) and youāll find yourself dealing with the least supportive support team on the internet: YouTube Creator Support. Not only will anything likely not get fixedā¦their team of bots and bot-like humans will do as much to frustrate you in the process.
File a dispute and wait up to 30 days for a response or for the claim to be dropped. (Sometimes to return again, btw.) The result is a lot of friction and frustration and a delay in getting any compensation for your work.
Makes AdSense to me. Not even two centsā¦or two AdSense.









YouTubeās Content ID system is supposed to help protect intellectual property. But in reality, itās become a weapon for shady operators to exploit creators. In my repeated experience and opinion.
Companies like HAAWK (by third party) and Naxos Digital Servicesāwhich seem to have ācopyfraudā as their main business modelāare notorious for abusing Content ID and the copyright claim process.
These are just two of growing list of āmusic publishersā big and small that knowingly and willfully add public domain works to Content ID, in clear violation of YouTubeās policies. Their goal? āSharingā ad revenue that rightfully belongs to content creators.
YOUTUBE + CONTENT ID + COPYFRAUD = A SOLUTION?
If YouTubeās bots and bot-like humans would use basic common sense (and follow another the lead of another team within their comapnyāGoogle Arts & Culture), they could seemingly easily fix this problem by requiring Content ID submitters to include additional information (like when was is COMPOSED) and/or create a āclearedā list of compositions that are clearly in the public domain.
Classical music seems to be the easiest place to start. Anything by any of these composers, for instance, would not be allowed in Content ID. And if they did sneak in, any copyright claims would automatically be rejected:
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685ā1750)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756ā1791)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770ā1827)
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797ā1828)
FRĆDĆRIC CHOPIN (1810ā1849)
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810ā1856)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809ā1847)
HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803ā1869)
FRANZ LISZT (1811ā1886)
RICHARD WAGNER (1813ā1883)
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813ā1901)
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833ā1897)
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840ā1893)
EDVARD GRIEG (1843ā1907)
ANTONĆN DVOÅĆK (1841ā1904)
GABRIEL FAURĆ (1845ā1924)
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862ā1918)
GUSTAV MAHLER (1860ā1911)
From there, they could add popular composers and recordings. Same for silent films. Anything is better than what they seem to be doing now. Which is nothing.
They CAN make this system better. But first they need to admit itās not GREAT.
SINKING THE TITANIC (OF COPYRIGHT)
These abuses are just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is widespread and only getting worse. The sad reality is that many of these companies get away with it because most people either donāt know their rights or donāt have the resources to fight back.
Our current copyright system is broken, I believe, beyond repair. Itās a mess of if/then statements written over too many years with more exceptions than rules. And more room for āinterpretationā than even our current tax code. Creators need something that takes into account how work is actually created and distributed now.
Legacy media companies (and their enablers at tech companies) understand their old cons, frauds, and grifts arenāt working like they used to, so they keep devising new ones. Whether theyāre legal or not, they are determined to win this fight. So am I.
FINAL THOUGHTS (ABOUT DAMN TIME, HUH?)
While I now subscribe to a music libraryāI pay a premium to avoid most of this griftāI do sometimes still use public domain classical recordings. And they almost always get at least one copyright claim.
On a recent video, I received TEN separate copyright claims on a video that used only FOUR recordings. Everyone seems to like Bachā¦and think they own his compositions.
These false copyright claims have been the bane of my existence more than Iād like admit. Fighting them was, for a time, a part-time job.
Itās disheartening to see a platform like YouTube, which says it champions creators, not only enable these exploitative practices but also seem to protect the abusers. YouTube rolls over and basically plays dead (in the head) when āpublishersā make unverified copyright claimsā¦all the while they threaten creators with terminations for far less severe ācrimes and misdemeanors.ā
Google/YouTubeās double standards and hypocrisy are infuriating.
Works in the public domain are worth fighting for. They are a rich and vital part of our cultural heritage. Works in the public domain belong to us all.
Allowing greedy corporations, individuals, and institutions to steal it piece by piece under the guise of copyright protection is unacceptable.
So, what can we do? Awareness is the first step.
The more people know about CopyFraud, the less power these entities have.
If you ever find yourself on the receiving end of a dubious copyright claim, donāt be afraid to challenge it. Research the workās copyright status, consult with a lawyer if you can, and donāt let these grifters bully you into submission.
The internet is still a powerful tool for democratizing informationāletās not let it become just another playground for corporate greed. Letās fight back against CopyFraud and protect what rightfully belongs to all of us.
Now, tell meāhave you encountered CopyFraud in your own work or creative endeavors? Letās swap stories and tips in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!
Clint
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