Channel Art Copyright - Help

WolfWraith

I Love YTtalk
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
5,678
Reaction score
1,971
Location
Australia
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Gamer
I've tried Googling for this but can't find any information in regards to Copyrights and Channel Art/Banners. Basically I want to find out if it's okay to use screenshots/game images in the channel art.

I know that videos can get claims from having copyrighted thumbnails, but obviously in a gaming channel naturally you'd have something related to that game and naturally you'd already have permission. I also noticed channel art can be reported via the about section but what exactly can a user report?
 

JosPlays

Just being AWESOME
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
5,835
Reaction score
1,963
Age
31
Location
The Netherlands
Channel Type
Gamer
I think channel art can be reported when someone uses your face in their art or something like that. Also when someone just copies your channel art. I don't think game companies will report you because you used a character from a game in the art.
 

WolfWraith

I Love YTtalk
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
5,678
Reaction score
1,971
Location
Australia
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Gamer
I think channel art can be reported when someone uses your face in their art or something like that. Also when someone just copies your channel art. I don't think game companies will report you because you used a character from a game in the art.
Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing but I don't really want to risk it, I know I've seen tonnes of people do it but I've seen too many times when someone follows and gets burnt for it xD Basically I want to know if YouTube have a policy on it, I tried Googleing "Channel Art Copyright" "YouTube Banner Copyright" all brings stuff about normal copyrights in regards to videos but not the channel art itself. It was a quick-ish search though.
 

Restart

Loving YTtalk
Joined
Oct 26, 2013
Messages
278
Reaction score
61
Location
Oregon
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Youtuber
Are you partnered with any networks, more specifically a gaming network? Because if you are, the same way you can record the footage of a game, same rule applies to your channel arts.

If you aren't, just use contents from developers who allow their users to monetize their contents and you should be fine. ex: Valve, Riot, Mojang.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fiasco

WolfWraith

I Love YTtalk
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
5,678
Reaction score
1,971
Location
Australia
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Gamer
Are you partnered with any networks, more specifically a gaming network? Because if you are, the same way you can record the footage of a game, same rule applies to your channel arts.

If you aren't, just use contents from developers who allow their users to monetize their contents and you should be fine. ex: Valve, Riot, Mojang.
Being part of a network does not exempt anyone from copyright laws.
 

Restart

Loving YTtalk
Joined
Oct 26, 2013
Messages
278
Reaction score
61
Location
Oregon
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Youtuber
Being part of a network does not exempt anyone from copyright laws.
I didn't mean it as in you can go off and use any content you want. But most gaming networks own the copyrights to the video games, and then so will you. Using those won't get you into trouble.
 

WolfWraith

I Love YTtalk
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
5,678
Reaction score
1,971
Location
Australia
Website
www.youtube.com
Channel Type
Gamer
I didn't mean it as in you can go off and use any content you want. But most gaming networks own the copyrights to the video games, and then so will you. Using those won't get you into trouble.
Unless the gaming networks made the video games and published them themselves; none of them own any copyrights to any games. I dunno who misinformed you about that, but it's very, very far from the facts. Networks have to follow the same copyright laws everyone else does. Networks do no provide anything that saves you from copyright takedowns. The whole "gaming networks have licenses to allow gaming videos blah blah" is nothing but a myth.
 

XXLRay

I Love YTtalk
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
2,335
Reaction score
984
Channel Type
Other
If you want to be safe ask the game publisher for permission. Generally it does not matter whether the third party content you use is a video, music or an image. You always need permission from the copyright holder.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WolfWraith