A Question About Reposting Videos from Youtube

[skysunnymq]

Hi, how’s everyone doing?

I have a question about repost video from YouTube.

As you know, in China, we can’t watch YouTube unless you buy a VPN.

The thing is not everyone wants to buy it, and there are many interesting videos on YouTube, so we got us video porters “搬运工”.

These porters are people who repost videos from YouTube. First download, and upload it again, on Chinese websites, to share with others.

Yesterday I watched an video here.

http://www.acfun.tv/v/ac2348650

It is about a foreigner introduces Chengdu food to other foreigners, this video was on YouTube and a porter reposted it in AcFun. Today, the host found it and very angry said the porter steal his video, wants to remove this video and ask others to check his YouTube page…

I want to know what you think about this situation.

To me, I’d love to share funny videos with others who can’t watch YouTube, if I repost a video, I will always put the YouTube links even though it’s useless for some people.

In this case, I think the host misunderstood. The porter doesn’t steal from him, everyone knows he’s a porter and that video comes from YouTube. So we think it’s ok. I understand the host’s anger too.

No accusation, just discussion, if you are the host on YouTube, what would you do? Or if you are a chinese porter, what would you do to make everyone happy whit the repost thing?

Thanks everyone!

[Charlie]

I think what the creator of the video does not understand is that intellectual property laws do not really exist in China. Virtually everything imaginable is freely available on the “walled” Chinese internet: copied movies, games, music, television shows, Youtube clips, and and much more.

The content owners (software developers, movie studios, game developers) have almost no power to rectify the situation because China does not abide by international law (it abides by China law). There are some exceptions to this, like very powerful and influential movie studios and such. But things like people who create popular content on Youtube have absolutely no chance to prevent their content from being stolen in China. Because they have no control over it, I think it’s in their interest and not try to chase down people who copy their content, because (at least in China) it will be a useless pursuit.

[Chris Ziich]

I wouldn’t care about making him happy in this situation. He should be thankful that his videos are getting more exposure. Is he just angry that he’s not earning revenue since the views are off youtube? It’s not like he would have made anymore money anyways since the 搬运工 are showing the videos to people without access to youtube.

If anything， he’s getting more views on his youtube channel as people who see the video through the 搬运工 might be interested in checking out his channel.

Anyways, his video is lame and he’s a loser for complaining about it. As long as you’re not at risk for copyright laws (which in this case you are probably not), then I would just ignore him. Come on, dude. This is China.

You have nothing to worry about. The Chengdu metro steals youtube videos and shows them every day.

[gojira]

What would I do?

1. I will mention the exact sources in the video description and put a disclaimer note.

2. Never post it as original content (eg: in Youku)

3. Give out links to creators social profiles / website

4. Disable Monetization

If you upload well and organized with proper title and meta tags, the content creator would feel jolly good! at least we are pushing their content in China.

Feel free to write me if you want to know more of these “best practices”

apologies for the broken Engrish

[skysunnymq]

Thanks!!!

I often upload my art works on the internet, it happens sometimes that others repost my works without permission, it makes me uncomfortable even though they give the links. So I understand how the host feels.

I know people are worried about the copyright, but I think he overreacts. He said 福尔磨牙, the porter who reposted his video, steals his video, he got an new AcFun account to censure 福尔磨牙, and an new weibo account. I saw his weibo this morning, there is just one post, a photo, he take a paper with “Don’t STEAL! TAKE MY VIDEO OFF! @福尔磨牙” . Even though he speaks ok chinese, guess he doesn’t know China so much.

How to download YouTube videos is not a secret, maybe there is someone in other place reposts his video too.

Nobody thinks 福尔磨牙 made that video, 福尔磨牙 doesn’t earn profit. But he’s wrong too, he didn’t contact with creator and didn’t give the link.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I’d love to hear more and discuss this situation.

[Author]

Posts