YouTube problem (Response from ZEFR) EDIT: We're screwed. We're all screwed.

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

I have some great news regarding the thread posted yesterday by WolverineHistorian. I emailed the guy who made the claims on my videos and this is what his supervisor had to say to me-

Hi Mike WolverineDevotee,

 
My name is Chris Marshall and I am a Content Manager here at ZEFR (movieclips is a small branch of our company), managing our relationship with T3 Media, the legal owner of premium footage and licensing for Big Ten Basketball and Football. I wanted to follow up with you in regards to your question on copyright claims on your video.  T3's corporate policy across the board states that the allowance granted to outlets like yourself to upload Big Ten Basketball and/or Football content to your YouTube channels does not allow for claiming ownership on or monetizing content.  T3 alone reserves the right to claim the content they own.  
 
I understand its a bit confusing as the ZEFR name shows up as the claimant of the content, but in reality, the claim is made on behalf of T3, the rightful owner of that content.  The claims made against your channel do not harm your channel in any way.
 
If you have a question about a specific video, or have any other questions at all, please let me know.  I would be happy to answer. 
 
I then emailed him back and asked him about us (WH, goblue16, Thorin and myself) who post highlight videos, if we would be able to continue to do it. And that we are not YouTube partners and making money off of our videos-
 
Yes you will be able to continue to post clips.  T3 may claim them and monetize, meaning ads will appear, but your clips will not be removed from YouTube.  If that ever happens let me know, as clips and highlights should not be blocked or taken down.
 
So it appears that we can continue our hobbies and continue posting videos. It may take awhile to rebuild and reupload videos but they will be fine.
 
This really is a huge relief for myself being that I spent over $500 on future projects for YouTube, getting video highlights and audio from non-televised games from the 70s. As I'm sure it is for guys like Thorin who has mgovideo and WH who has spent countless hours editing, chopping and uploading for our enjoyment.  

 

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 3:44 AM ^

This is not always the case in my experience. In fact, I recently had a complaint filed against me in federal court over one YouTube video. I don't think they have a case but if there are any mgolawyers out there who would be willing to read the complaint and offer their advice, I would really appreciate it (mgovideo at gmail dot com).

WolverineHistorian

February 14th, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^

He actually told you that highlight clips should not be blocked?  Then why the crap do I have over 100 videos blocked world wide?  Do they have the power to unblock them?   That's what I want to know. 

Clipping them, editing and uploading them all over again would take another 2 years.

I need to talk to this guy.  What's his email address? 

Wolverine Devotee

February 14th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^

chris.marshall@zefr.com

He knows about your videos being effected by this as well. I mentioned all 4 of us in the email a few times. I had only 6 videos blocked and I still have the master copies of the uploaded videos.

He wanted the URL of them but I already deleted them and am reuploading them. He may be able to help you out and actually restore them. 

He may ask for your video URLs. So whatever you do don't delete anything. 

 

 

 

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 4:32 AM ^

So whatever you do don't delete anything.

I already deleted about 50 videos. Strange that the same guy is saying this to you and blocking more of my videos at exactly the same time.

EDIT: I just had 40+ more videos blocked between 2:00 and 4:30 am ET (outsourcing?). Thanks for drawing their attention to my account dude. Here's what my email looks like:

Wolverine Devotee

February 15th, 2013 at 7:18 AM ^

I never said anything about you in the email because I was making a speech about how none of us (goblue16, WH and myself) do this for money. I recall you saying you get some kind of compensation from this in some way so I didn't include you. 

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 7:28 AM ^

Ok, but that seems to contradict what you said in the OP:

I then emailed him back and asked him about us (WH, goblue16, Thorin and myself) who post highlight videos, if we would be able to continue to do it.

I've had more videos blocked in the hours since you posted this thread than I did in the whole time ZEFR had been doing this (about a month).

Wolverine Devotee

February 15th, 2013 at 7:36 AM ^

I may have posted your name here but I did not mention it in the email. If you don't believe me, I can show you my emails.

If you don't believe that I can screenshot them and tweet them to you.

 

Chris, 

 
Thank you for the response.  My only question is will I be able to continue my hobby of posting highlights from older games? As well as my friends WolverineHistorian and jcbakkar?  None of us three are in the YouTube partnership program or are with Google's Adsense services and do not profit from our videos whatsoever.  They are simply just for the enjoyment of fans across the country.  I currently have under 30 subscribers on my YouTube account and am relatively new to what we do here in the YouTube community, but guys WolverineHistorian have been doing this for years and have spent countless amounts of hours chopping footage and editing it simply for the enjoyment of other fans and nothing else. 
 
Thanks,
 

Mike Wolverine Devotee

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 7:40 AM ^

It's not worth the bother. While I can see how ZEFR can (and has in the case of WH) destroy a channel that's archiving old stuff, most of my uploads are current stuff that they're not going after until long after everybody's already watched them.

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 4:53 AM ^

If that's what he's saying it's not true. As of 20 minutes ago, they are still actively and indiscriminately blocking highlights, every snap videos, 70s footage, mgoblue content, Inside Michigan Football, pretty much everything except press conferences.

Wolverine Devotee

February 15th, 2013 at 7:26 AM ^

WH, if Thorin is right and this guy is bullshitting us all, email me and we can talk about your content, because I saved about 95% of every game highlight video you did in the past and luckily they're the ones that are blocked.

They are all saved on my Playstation 3 and I could find some way to get them back to you and you could start a Dailymotion account and post them there if this is what YouTube has become. 

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 7:48 AM ^

If you really have 95% of the WH library in local storage, that's kind of insane but also probably the best news I've heard all day. Do you also collect stamps, coins, baseball cards? OK, I'm showing my age. What do the kids collect nowadays? Football gloves? Do you make a lots of lists?

Wolverine Devotee

February 15th, 2013 at 7:50 AM ^

I honestly do. Swear to God. Yes, I am insane, this is true. 

But that's how I watch his videos. Use savevid to get them, put em on my PS3 that supports mp4 video and watch them on my TV. Plus it's a hell of a lot quicker just scrolling and clicking.

The only one that I do not have that I can recall and is lost is 1979 vs state. Believe me, I checked over and over. 

I save them all to go back and relive memories and eventually show my kids someday old highlights. I know how much I would've loved those highlight videos when I was a kid. 

mGrowOld

February 15th, 2013 at 8:09 AM ^

I've wondered this for a long time.  How old are you?  There are times I think you have to be my age or older and there other times I'd swear you weren't over 15.  Normally you can peg somebody's age almost immediately but I have to say you've got me stumped.

mGrowOld

February 15th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

25 - I dunno. He speaks about showing 1979 game highlights to his kids (most 25 year olds dont think about stuff like that) and then if you happen to catch his pre & post game rituals it sounded more like preparation for combat or a 500 level physics final than watching a game.  

And he's got time to be on here as much as I do (which means he's got a lot of free time) which generally means either a kid without a real job or an old fart like mean with one he can goof off at when he wants.  And he he apparently possess both the technical skills and the desire to download roughly 6 months worth of Michigan highlights onto a Playstation.  

Renaissance man to be sure.

EDIT: Not trying to be mean - just honestly curious.

mGrowOld

February 15th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^

I'm 53 hence the handle M-Grow-Old.  Graduated in 1981 so in my case the 1979 hightlights ARE somewhat important if only to validate just how shitty my memory is.  Completely unrelated to our debate but do you ever watch old film of games you actually attended and the reality of the game is NOTHING like you remember it?  I'm constantly amazed just how faulty my memory is when presented with those things called facts.

Oh....and thanks for all the work you do in posting video here.  Much appreciated from lazy users like me who dont contribute much other than pithy comments and the occasional funny pic.  Guys like you Thorin who actually do stuff are a critical part of why the board is fantastic.

 THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Thorin

February 15th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^

I'm 39 and I grew up in Ann Arbor going to almost every game (football, basketball, baseball) from 1982-ish through 1990. I went to school out of state, my family moved and I haven't been back since. I think part of what you're talking about (memory vs. reality) is due to how different the stadium experience was without video scoreboards. Even then I felt like I didn't really know what happened until I watched Michigan Replay.

NUFan

February 15th, 2013 at 10:48 AM ^

Hi.  I'm a Northwestern fan with over 200 highlight videos online.  Back in November of 2011, T3 deleted a bunch of my videos from YouTube, which gave my account a copyright strike.  They only targeted newer videos at that time, though, and mostly ones that were broadcast on BTN.  This time they're going after everything regardless of broadcast channel or era.  They're only blocking my videos, which at least is a process that could be undone if they change their minds, but I'm not very optimistic.

Since they went after my YouTube account, I've been uploading everything to vimeo with password protection.  I have no idea if that will help, but it does make the videos private and only those who go to my site are able to access the videos.  It has probably cut down viewership by 95%, but at least some people still get to see them.

Even though I have never made a cent off of the videos and have probably spent several hundred dollars over the years in capture card upgrades and a handful of aquisitions of misc. games, I have no plans to contact either ZEFT or T3.  I didn't think anything good could come from that and I do not want them to catch wind of my vimeo account or website.

I'm very interested to see how this plays out for you, though, and my follow suit if you get them to ease up.

Good luck.

goblue16

February 15th, 2013 at 11:23 AM ^

I emailed Chris about my account and this was his response
Hi Jihad,

I took a look at these videos and unfortunately many of them are full games. Because of the deal with our client, I am unable to give specifics, but I will say that the upload of unedited full games, or clips from games with long unedited durations will be blocked due to the content owner's request. I will say that you have one upload that would meet the requirements to stay up, and that is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To6WlZ9YR8U

If your other videos are this length, or even 80% longer you should be fine, but once you upload a video with unedited content that is too long, per our client, that would be blocked

WolverineHistorian

February 15th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^

I just got off the phone with Chris Marshall.  He told me he never calls people about this issue but after looking at my account, he said he wanted to talk to me because he too is a sports fan and he completely understands my frustration and anger, yadda, yadda, yadda. 

He was very nice about it and he said they personally were hoping that this issue could be resolved but in the end, he doesn't make the rules.  And he's right.  In the end, I don't have a leg to stand on because I don't own ESPN, ABC or even the old networks that don't even broadcast college football anymore. 

He specifically mentioned the Big Ten Network but he said any sports broadcasting network is now coming out against content posted....which is why this is suddenly an issue after all these years.  There are some exceptions.  I can continue doing highlight vids if they are around 8 minutes of less, apparently, as long as it is edited footage.  Of course, who is to say they won't contact me in 6 months and say, "sorry, but highlights can only be 4 minutes now."  Any rules with youtube seem to change all the time.

In a matter of 3 days, ZEFR is giving me the finger over a 6 year hobby that I thought was pretty harmless. 

Fuck ZEFR and fuck YouTube.  Now I'm going to go punch something. 

goblue16

February 15th, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^

Dammit i used to love watchn the full games on youtube and what drives me crazy is that why doesnt ESPN post full games for themselves. BTN and CBS all have a youtubue account they could easily post them. Usually all they do is post a 1 minute clip. Like i said before FUCK YOUTUBE!!! 

Wolverine Devotee

February 15th, 2013 at 2:51 PM ^

I'm showing my hand in this one of what the future of my content is going to be that I've been working on, but would ZEFR have the right to block game audio from WJR in the mid 70s?