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.

 

[Nikosandros]

The people with the copies were not asked to then reproduce copies of the books, page by page, and distribute it freely to everyone.

As written several times, this is not correct. The first batch of people, that got the PDF, were given this restriction. Those that were given, more recently, the book did not have this restriction initially, it was added after the fact.

99% of the videos on this topic were not taken down. Only the guys who decided to abuse it by showing almost every page (or in one case every single page) got the take down notice.

Not correct. Another video was struck down and it did not contain most of the pages.

 

[Mistwell]

Every, I mean every company or independent author of a rpg book, who sends a promotional copy of their product to a you tuber, wants to see their product showcased. That's the point. Build up hype and hopefully get some positive vibes going. Why would any YouTuber assume WotC is different? The only stipulation was to wait till Aug. 1.Once again, WotC bungles and builds up ill will. They really really aren't learning...

Show me one independent author of a book who wanted EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF THEIR BOOK DISPLAYED ON YOUTUBE IN ORDER before the book is even available to the wider public.

I cannot believe the disingenuous approach to this topic from some. Almost all videos made by people who had early access were not warned or taken down. Like 99% of them. How are you guys not mentioning the enormous elephant in the room - that this was only the guys who literally scanned the overwhelming majority of the book in a page by page video who got the notice, and only for those particular videos doing that?

 

[Nikosandros]

I think Sly and a few others got swept up because it looked like a read though. I hope WotC has the ability to manually remove the ones that didn't violate fair use.

Well, I certainly hope that they do.

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

@SlyFlourish has done no such thing. Only one video, as far as we know, was as described and no one has said that it shouldn't have been take down. The other affected videos contained some flip-through, which are extremely common when reviewing RPGs.

If someone put up a "review" of a RPG product and had literally no flip-through, showed off no art, etc. it wouldn't be worth my time to watch.

 

[Mistwell]

Has written several times, this is not correct. The first batch of people, that got the PDF, were given this restriction. Those that were given, more recently, the book did not have this restriction initially, it was added after the fact.


Not correct. Another video was struck down and it did not contain most of the pages.

I've tracked the videos taken down by WOTC and 100% of them were showing the bulk of the PHB pages. If you disagree, tell me which one you're talking about.

And I am not talking about "restrictions from WOTC" I am talking about YOUTUBE restrictions and obvious copyright restrictions! Nobody rationally thinks a review copy is permission for you to then distribute the actual book for free on YouTube so you can get paid by YouTube through monetization! You shouldn't need WOTC to tell you "don't now pirate our book!"

I truly don't understand why people think a file format of MP4 is meaningfully different than a file format of PDF for distribution. It's absurd to think you can show almost all the pages of a book and that's just peachy keen because "they told me to review it!" Gee funny, seems like almost everybody except like three people understood that was not in fact what a review copy is for!

 

[Mistwell]

I saw the @SlyFlourish video. He did not show the entire book, not even close. It was an excellent, balanced review. It is exactly the type of video, WotC should be pleased with. @SlyFlourish did nothing wrong. Absolutely no way to predict WotC's bizarre reaction, especially considering 3000 physical copies entered the wild during GenCon.

Isn't that the 3.5 hour review he did live with people? If so, yes, he showed more than 75% of the book. He was doing page by page, just out of order.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Good nows for Jorphdan!

 

[Nikosandros]

I've tracked the videos taken down by WOTC and 100% of them were showing the bulk of the PHB pages. If you disagree, tell me which one you're talking about.

I'm looking for the other name, but the first one is SlyFlourish didn't the bulk of the pages. I think you are conflating him with DnD Shorts.

 

[mellored]

Have you read any of his posts here?

No. There are 23 pages.

That wasn't a compromise. It was WotC forcing him to do this for no particular good reason.

The reason is to stop people from copying their creation.

The blurring does that. Without stepping on the toes of Sly's creations.


If WotC is pushing for more than blurring, then yea. That would be too far.

But the line is pretty clear. You make it, it's yours to sell. WotC made the book, Sly made his option about the book.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Isn't that the 3.5 hour review he did live with people? If so, yes, he showed more than 75% of the book. He was doing page by page, just out of order.

Who are you referring to?