D&D (2024) D&D Player's Handbook Video Redactions & Takedowns

There's a lot of YouTube videos looking at the brand new Player's Handbook right now, and some of them include the YouTuber in question flipping through the new book on screen. A couple of those video creators have been asked by WotC to redact some of the content of their videos, with one finding that their video had been taken down entirely due to copyright claims from the company. It appears to be the folks who are flipping through the whole book on-screen who are running into this issue which, it seems, is based on piracy concerns.

Jorphdan posted on Twitter that "Despite fulfilling [WotC's] requests for the flip through video I was issues a copyright strike on my channel. Three strikes TERMINATES your channel. I don't think going over the 2024 PHB is worth losing my channel I've been working on since 2017. I'm pretty upset as none of this was said up front and when notified I did comply with their requirements. And I see other creators still have their videos up. Videos that are not unlike mine. Covering WotC is not worth losing my channel... Meanwhile please subscribe to my D&D free channel the Jocular Junction, where I'll most likely be making the majority of my TTRPG videos."

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Mike Shea, aka Sly Flourish, also posted a walkthrough of the Player's Handbook. While he didn't receive a copyright takedown action, after an email from WotC he has blurred out all the page images. "Note, I blurred out pictures of the book after Hasbro sent me an email saying they worried people would take screenshots of the book and build their own. Yes, it's complete b******t, but we must all do our part to ensure four billion dollar companies maximize shareholder value."

Popular YouTuber DnD Shorts had a video entitled 100% Walkthrough of the New Player's Handbook in D&D. That video is no longer available. However, his full spoilers review is still online.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Neither Enworld nor Pazio are putting out their products online for free a month before they go on sale though, surely?

Who did that? WOTC sold 3000 copies of this book at Gencon the same day we were authorized by WOTC to post about it and two days before they decided to change the rules.

You know what WOTC could have done instead? Put it up for sale as a PDF on the DM's Guild and made a mint for hardly any work.

 

[Older Beholder]

Who did that?

DnD shorts

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Neither Enworld nor Pazio are putting out their products online for free a month before they go on sale though, surely?

I do not understand how your question relates to my post that you quoted.

 

[Mistwell]

The only takedown orders were for those who gave screenshots of 75%+ of the actual pages of the PHB. Which is clear, blatant, obvious copyright infringement.

Nobody had a takedown notice for giving opinions about the book, or WOTC. Nobody had takedown notice for discussing the rules, or even posting some sample rules. The only takedown notices were for actual direct screenshots of the pages themselves, artwork and all, and only if you provided enormous quantities of those.

Anyone who thinks that was going to be an OK thing to do isn't aware of YouTube TOS, or basic copyright law. It's absurd to conflate that type of takedown notice with normal videos about the new rules. Or to think most companies in WOTCs or YouTubes position would behave differently if you literally pirated an overwhelming majority of their copyrighted work on YouTube.

 

[Theory of Games]

I know players and GMs who would have purchased a book but found a free pirated pdf online instead. So. Yeah, it does cost and I don't blame WotC for monetizing their "under-monetized" products.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

You know what WOTC could have done instead? Put it up for sale as a PDF on the DM's Guild and made a mint for hardly any work.

I know I would've bought that for sure

 

[Seramus]

I know I would've bought that for sure

Same. In fact, one of the reasons why I buy the books is to immediately get a PDF version afterwards guilt free. The book sits on the shelf, and the PDF sees 99% of my use.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I know players and GMs who would have purchased a book but found a free pirated pdf online instead. So. Yeah, it does cost and I don't blame WotC for monetizing their "under-monetized" products.

Yeah, but those pirated PDFs have nothing to do with any promotional video created by content creators who were ASKED (by WotC) to review their book. Pirated PDFs will be out there regardless, so why burn your allies?

 

[Theory of Games]

Yeah, but those pirated PDFs have nothing to do with any promotional video created by content creators who were ASKED (by WotC) to review their book. Pirated PDFs will be out there regardless, so why burn your allies?

I don't know what you do professionally BUT if people were stealing your product, is that cool?

 

[Retreater]

Way to go after your biggest supporters on social media.
This corporation seemingly wants to have the worst reputation in the industry.