Content ID

Content ID

Content ID is a special digital tool made by Google to help find and manage copyrighted content on YouTube. When someone uploads a video to YouTube, Content ID checks it against audio and video files that content owners have registered. If there is a match, the content owner can choose to block the video or allow it and earn money from it.

The system started being used around 2007. It helped make sure that creators get proper credit and payment for their work while also helping YouTube stay organized.

Overview

Content ID is a system that helps protect songs and videos that belong to someone else. It makes a special ID for each piece of copyrighted audio and video and keeps it in a database. When someone uploads a video to YouTube, the system checks it against the database. If it finds a match, it may flag the video as a copyright issue.

The owner of the original content can then choose what to do. They can block the video so no one can watch it, see how many people view the video, or add ads to the video and keep the money from those ads. Only certain people or big companies can use Content ID, which makes it hard for smaller creators to access this tool.

Context

See also: YouTube § Copyrighted material

Between 2007 and 2009, some companies like Viacom, Mediaset, and the English Premier League thought YouTube wasn’t doing enough to stop people from uploading videos that belonged to them. Viacom wanted money because they saw many clips of their shows and games being watched a lot without permission.

Later, Viacom won a court case that made YouTube share information about what people were watching. In 2014, after seven years, the legal problems ended with an agreement that wasn’t made public.

History

In June 2007, YouTube began testing a way to find videos that used content without permission. This system uses special marks, called "digital fingerprints," to spot matching songs or videos. It was made to help solve legal problems, like a case brought by Viacom. It was first called "Video Identification" but later became known as Content ID. By 2010, YouTube had spent a lot of money on this technology. By 2012, Content ID helped bring in more than a third of the money YouTube made from ads on videos.

Over time, Content ID helped pay billions of dollars to people who owned the original content. In 2018, YouTube added a new tool called "Copyright Match" for bigger channels. This tool helps find exact copies of a channel’s videos but only acts when the channel decides to. By 2021, Content ID was used to manage a large number of claims about videos.

Use by the music industry

Some music owners let people use their songs in videos on YouTube, but they want to earn money from these videos. For example, Materia Music Publishing allows creators to use its songs in non-commercial videos, but these videos will earn money through Content ID. Many independent music companies like DistroKid help musicians add their songs to Content ID if they follow certain rules.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has an agreement with YouTube. YouTube pays ASCAP a fee to let people in the United States watch videos with ASCAP members' songs. Even if a creator has permission to use a song, they still need this separate permission to show the video online. ASCAP says it doesn’t block videos with its members' songs unless the owner asks them to.

Trademark lawsuit

In 2006, YouTube and a company called Audible Magic made a deal to create technology that could recognize music. Later that year, Google bought YouTube, and the deal moved to Google. In 2014, Google got a trademark for a system called "Content ID." That same year, Audible Magic sued Google, saying the name "Content ID" belonged to them.

Criticism

See also: Criticism of Google § YouTube, and Censorship by copyright

Some people worry that Content ID doesn’t always work perfectly. Tests show it finds many copies of songs, but it can miss some.

Sometimes Content ID removes videos that should be allowed, like for reviews or learning. A popular YouTube channel talked about how rights holders made mistakes with claims.

Content ID has also sometimes said that public domain materials — things anyone can use — were copyrighted. This has happened with sounds like white noise and old music.

If a YouTube user thinks a Content ID decision is wrong, they can dispute it. But the copyright owner decides if the dispute is right. If the owner says the claim is wrong, the YouTube channel might get a strike. After three strikes, the channel can be removed.

Sadly, some people have tried to use Content ID in unfair ways. One man made a fake music company to claim songs and take money from YouTube. He was caught and went to prison.