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]

I've worked that many places with a various departments do not talk to each other before acting until disaster strikes.

Not uncommon.

I believe that, but is it connected to creative freedom or is it just miscommunication that is somewhat inevitable in a large organization?

 

[Minigiant]

I believe that, but is it connected to creative freedom or is it just miscommunication that is somewhat inevitable in a large organization?

I'd say it's part both, mostly the latter.

However I think that a creativity based business would grow out of a structure of being less micromanaged.

And we all know that Hasbro didn't care about Wizards until the last couple years.

 

[Retreater]

They're just testing the boundaries.
1) Is it too much if we revoke the OGL? Okay, we'll apologize and backtrack.
2) Is it too much if we send Pinkertons to a YouTube streamer? Well, next time we'll just copyright strike.
3) Oh, is a copyright strike too much? Next time we'll send clearer guidelines for what you can post.
You'd wish they knew what would be considered "too much" by the fans, but they need the fan/consumer interaction to let them know what can be accepted.
Maybe the next transgression is making Errata available only on DND Beyond with a subscription?
Maybe it's some terrible social faux pas in the DMG - using AI writing, harmful stereotypes, or bad glue binding?
But they'll make mistakes. You'll just need to call them out on it.

 

[Vaalingrade]

However I think that a creativity based business would grow out of a structure of being less micromanaged.

I'm sorry, but the graph says creativity isn't trending this quarter and that our consulting firm will not get paid for suggesting less micromanagement.

 

[Minigiant]

They're just testing the boundaries.
1) Is it too much if we revoke the OGL? Okay, we'll apologize and backtrack.
2) Is it too much if we send Pinkertons to a YouTube streamer? Well, next time we'll just copyright strike.
3) Oh, is a copyright strike too much? Next time we'll send clearer guidelines for what you can post.
You'd wish they knew what would be considered "too much" by the fans, but they need the fan/consumer interaction to let them know what can be accepted.
Maybe the next transgression is making Errata available only on DND Beyond with a subscription?
Maybe it's some terrible social faux pas in the DMG - using AI writing, harmful stereotypes, or bad glue binding?
But they'll make mistakes. You'll just need to call them out on it.

If you think a modern major US corporation is calculated and coordinated enough to put out a gauging program that has a guaranteed bad publicity outcome, I got a bridge in my home borough to sell you.

 

[Retreater]

If you think a modern major US corporation is calculated and coordinated enough to put out a gauging program that has a guaranteed bad publicity outcome, I got a bridge in my home borough to sell you.

Day One patches and perpetual Beta releases at a corporate level. I think this is exactly how they run business.

 

[Minigiant]

Day One patches and perpetual Beta releases at a corporate level. I think this is exactly how they run business.

Yeah, that's prove my point.

Day one patches and perpetual Betas releases are close by poor calculation and lack of coordination.

Typically due to the extreme size of these corporations and the expense in money and speed it will require to coordinate and calculate things better.

It's gotten to the point where some corporations are hirimg people who have no idea about the service or product and their main job is to run interference and communications between other departments that would interrupt or harm the service or product or That aspect of the company.

 

[Tony4095]

Being worried about a pirated screenshot compilation pdf is so incredibly dumb when they literally sold thousands of these books early at GenCon and anyone with a mind to could simply scan the entire book for a much better quality pdf. DnD 2024 might be a good upgrade of 5e, but WOTC is still a POS company that many won't support (like me) because of their past and continued animosity toward their player base and their terrible business practices.

 

[Minigiant]

Being worried about a pirated screenshot compilation pdf is so incredibly dumb when they literally sold thousands of these books early at GenCon and anyone with a mind to could simply scan the entire book for a much better quality pdf. DnD 2024 might be a good upgrade of 5e, but WOTC is still a POS company that many won't support (like me) because of their past and continued animosity toward their player base and their terrible business practices.

Sure but again only one person gave a solution for what WOTC should do if they have a person blatantly offering their unpublished material to pirates.

And now we have a section of the community that things piracy is okay in a world where the average TTRPG fan is more tech savvy.

"WOTC is scummy so piracy is okay" is a dangerous mindset growing in the community and one we can't let live within it.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sure but again only one person gave a solution for what WOTC should do if they have a person blatantly offering their unpublished material to pirates.

And now we have a section of the community that things piracy is okay in a world where the average TTRPG fan is more tech savvy.

"WOTC is scummy so piracy is okay" is a dangerous mindset growing in the community and one we can't let live within it.

Saying "It's going to happen" is NOT the same thing as saying "It's okay that it happens".