My Youtube video illegally downloaded and reuploaded

[Sabyasachi Patra]

My three and half min trailer was downloaded from youtube and re uploaded by one fellow. I am wondering how one can download from youtube.

After three months of its uploaded by that other person, it got 66000 hits and was brought to my notice. I immediately complained to youtube and it was removed within a day.

Interestingly in my channel the same video has got 78000 + hits and I had seen that the number of hits over the months had trickled down.

Wild India: Elephant Attack - YouTube

Last year, I was approached by You tube to become a youtube content partner whereby they run advertisements I get paid for that. Now I understand they run advertisements on every video of every person.

I still have no idea how someone can download it when there is no download button. Have you faced such an issue before?

Not sure where else to discuss this, moderators may move to which ever section is most relevant for this discussion.

[Chris Harding]

There is a ton of software that will allow a user to simply type in the address and it will download. I don't use any but I think I remember one called "Video Get"

I assume that You Tube has been notified of the illegal upload and has taken action against the uploader??

Chris

[Mike Beckett]

Behind Youtube videos, somewhere, is an MP4 file or similar, and at some point it's on a public URL.

Keepvid.com is one example. It just gives you a direct link to a video file to download. I've never checked it, but it seems to give you the original (or near original) MP4 file at HD res., as well as options for all the other resolutions YouTube offers for your video.

[Noa Put]

When I was looking for a permanent provider to host my videos I checked to see how easy it would be to download my video and in firefox it's just a matter to install the right add on and it adds a download button below the youtube video. I just checked and went to your videochannel on youtube and was able to get your videos at the highest quality with the press of a button. Not sure if youtube has the possibility to add some download restrictions though.

Same applied for vimeo, which is where I host my videos, I was able to download my videos through a button on as well. Best is that you embed your logo in your videos, I have not done this yet but plan to do that for any future demo videos I plan to place online.

[Mike Beckett]

This is the thing. Anything you put online can be grabbed in some way. BBC iPlayer doesn't let you keep video for use outside their player, but I can use Fraps to do an actual screen capture of it.

I've just taken the view that it doesn't really matter, it's not either making me or losing me money. I guess I'd feel different if someone took my videos and re-uploaded them, or even sold them.

Watermarking is probably the only thing you can do, and even then it won't stop someone who's determined, unless I have a moving watermark or make it hideously large and ugly!

[Jody Arnott]

Yeah as Mike said, there's no real way to stop people downloading your videos. There are numerous programs that will make a recording of what is on your screen, along with audio.

A small watermark is your best bet. But even then, there are programs that can quite effectively remove/blur a watermark.

I have a popular short documentary on YouTube that I've found uploaded in other places. The websites are all pretty obscure and it doesn't seem to be getting any views, so it doesn't bother me too much.

[Mark Williams]

Here is what I experienced. I spent most of last week searching over 500 youtube and vimeo videos that contained some of my footage w/o permission. It resulted in me filing 36 DMCA Take-Down Notices on Youtube and 16 on Vimeo. I must say both sites were very responsive and closed 6 accounts, removing hundreds of videos. The guilty culprits were not happy and offered to purchase the footage but I refused because I don't do business with folks that steal from me.

[Donald McPherson]

I download many Youtube and Vimeo tutorials so I can replay, rewind and pause on a second monitor whilst I try and learn on my main monitor. Also my internet connection is slow but if patient I can get the higher quality without the buffering.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

This was actually an eye opener for me. Youtube took down the video within a day of my complaint. I was alerted when it came to a friend's notice.

Henceforth I will put a logo as watermark.

However, this is a big difference between Youtube "channel" and TV. Even though Youtube calls it channel, in TV someone else cannot download my program and upload/broadcast in the same channel and earn money. Youtube owes no responsibility beyond taking down the video after the complaint. I am not very happy about that. Nevertheless, this is a good learning. I will be more vigilant and do periodic search to make sure that my content is not reuploaded.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

After this incident, I did some search on my own and discovered that there was another illegal download and reupload in youtube of my video titled "Scavengers".

Wild India: Scavengers - YouTube

I filed a complaint with youtube and this time youtube took two days to remove the illegal download.

I have now started uploading with my logo.