Independent Review Videos, Copyright Strikes, and YouTube Takedowns
Introduction Independent review videos have become an important part of digital consumer culture. Viewers often rely on such videos to understand how an app, product, service, or platform performs in real-world use. A genuine review may include praise, criticism, comparison, demonstrations, screenshots, screen recordings, product images, interface walkthroughs, or personal opinion based on the creator’s own experience. However, disputes can arise when the company being reviewed objects to the video. In some cases, a company may request YouTube to remove the video, alleging copyright infringement or some other violation. This can become serious for the creator, especially if the removal results in a copyright strike. A copyright strike affects the standing of the channel and, if repeated, may place the entire channel at risk. It is therefore important for creators to understand how YouTube generally treats copyright removal requests, what criteria may be considered, what rights cr...