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.

 

[mamba]

If I understand correctly, the "stitch" was very poor quality. So the panic mode would be to shut videos down before someone made a high quality one.

there won’t be any better ones based on screen capturing videos, DnDShorts already was the best possible source for that. The better ones will come from scanning the books

I get it that the initial lauch of a product is sensitive tho. It is ethical to have "early access" for those who are paying and financially supporting the business that make the products.

no one claimed piracy was legal, whether early on or 6 months from now

The panic was brief during a weekend, and already seems to be over by now.

good, it was overblown anyway

For me personally, I would like clear guidance from WotC for what I should or shouldnt do when discussing a page in the core books.

that clearly should have been the case

 

[KYRON45]

some might not be as blatant about it as WotC however, and plenty TTRPGs are created by something other than a big greedy corporation, whether a single person or a small team

I rather give my money to eg Rob Schwalb or Matt Colville than Chris Cocks

Those small teams aren’t corporations owned by investors who are just shell companies whose sole reason for existing is profit.

I’m sure if you spent time digging into any corporation from animal crackers to ocean liners you would find similar if not worse histories.

 

[mamba]

It's entirely within WotCs right to say you can't show pages the book we made online.

not sure about that, there is fair use… even so, no one said it wasn’t, the complaint was that they initially did not and only later did

That's not really your choice to make.

did I claim it is?

You can't buy a DVD and stream yourself watching the movie, collect money, and claim it's just free marketing for the movie studio.

not what happened here, even remotely

That's basic copywrite law. Not something WotC, or anyone else need to spell out.

not sure why you feel the need to do so then

 

[mamba]

Those small teams aren’t corporations owned by investors who are just shell companies whose sole reason for existing is profit.

I’m sure if you spent time digging into any corporation from animal crackers to ocean liners you would find similar if not worse histories.

maybe, that still does not mean my money is not better spent on them (the Matt Colvilles, not the cracker companies…) than on WotC’s latest offering

 

[mellored]

the complaint was that they initially did not and only later did

I mean, don't expect the legal team to move quickly.

It took a few days to issue the complaint, and a few days to remove it once blurred.

not what happened here, even remotely

What do you think is the difference is?

Getting a book, and flipping though the pages on a video.
Vs
Getting a movie, and watching it on a stream.

 

[KYRON45]

maybe, that still does not mean my money is not better spent on them (the Matt Colvilles, not the cracker companies…) than on WotC’s latest offering

We are all free to spend our money on what we like.

I wish all of the smaller companies nothing but the best. I just hope they are better managed than D&D was at the same “little company” stage.

We are at the point that we no longer need Wotc at all.

 

[mamba]

I mean, don't expect the legal team to move quickly.

they had months to anticipate and prepare for this

It took a few days to issue the complaint, and a few days to remove it once blurred.

the removal was Sly Fourish’s decision, not WotC’s

What do you think is the difference is?

he showed less than 20% of the pages, no one is defending DnDShorts

 

[mellored]

they had months to anticipate and prepare for this

It was 5 days ago.

 

[Retreater]

If you think any corporation puts the needs of anyone above the shareholders you are going to have your heart broken every day of your life.

Ergo, I will not be buying my hobby gaming supplies from multi billion dollar corporations.
I will be buying stuff "from gamers, for gamers."
Troll Lord Games, Arcane Library, EN Publishing, Goodman Games, Paizo, Free League, Chaosium, Cubicle 7, etc.

 

[mellored]

Ergo, I will not be buying my hobby gaming supplies from multi billion dollar corporations.
I will be buying stuff "from gamers, for gamers."
Troll Lord Games, Arcane Library, EN Publishing, Goodman Games, Paizo, Free League, Chaosium, Cubicle 7, etc.

And if you do, don't post a video of you flipping though their pages.