Splice issues copyright warning to YouTuber for displaying terms of use in videos – reactions on the Internet

Splice has issued a copyright strike to a lawyer and content creator for displaying a section of the company’s terms of service in one of her videos, sparking widespread outrage online.

The company, which offers, among other things, a comprehensive sample library for music producers, protested when Miss Krystle posted a video on her channel “Top Music Attorney” in which she disclosed the company’s terms of service.

The video is part of a regular series by Top Music Attorney where she breaks down the terms of service of major music companies to give her viewers a better understanding of what they’re getting into when they do so.

“I have a series where I go through the terms of service of these music companies and explain to you what is in these contracts that you have to sign to use these platforms,” ​​she explains.

Krystle claims she received a cease and desist letter from Splice’s legal department and suggested making a quick call to clarify some of the terms of the company’s terms of service. She said she would create a follow-up video for clarity for her audience.

She says the call was productive and that Splice agreed to update its terms of service to address the discrepancies identified. She left the call feeling that everyone involved had reached a positive resolution.

It wasn’t until the next day that she learned that her YouTube channel, “Top Music Attorney,” had been issued a copyright infringement warning at Splice’s request, resulting in a damaging copyright strike. If a YouTube user receives three copyright strikes within 90 days, their account and channel will be permanently suspended.

Several notable content creators have since spoken out in support of Miss Krystle, including Benn Jordan, who called Splice’s actions “one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen a company do.” Jordan has also made it clear that he has deleted his Splice account.

This is probably one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen from a company. @splice.

I’m out and will keep this in mind every time someone asks me for a library recommendation (one of my most common questions). Zero tolerance for this garbage. https://t.co/ZZBDnUb0uG

— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) July 13, 2024

Jordan continues, “There is literally no justification for abusing the DMCA because someone criticized you, Splice… You issued a DMCA to take down a video based on false claims before the creator could even respond. That is literally perjury. I’m out.”

In response to Jordan, another X user, musician and entrepreneur Jonathan Rowden, claims: “Splice has been receiving copyright strikes for artists since its inception. I spoke to a number of labels during Covid and they all told me they had official documents advising artists on the roster not to use Splice because of said risk.”

According to Top Music Attorney’s video on this topic, MusicTech has reached out to Splice for comment – and the company says it is currently working with YouTube to remove the copyright strike from the Top Music Attorney channel. At the time of writing, it is not clear if the strike has been removed, and Miss Krystle/Top Music Attorney has not yet made a follow-up video.

You can find more of her content on the YouTube channel “Top Music Attorney”.