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."

​

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.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Not if they are quick enough.

1: Buy stock.
2: force the company to hype something without spending resources to actually makeing a good product.
3: Sell stock, and be gone before the reviews come in.

Hostile Takeover Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Examples.

Sure. Ought to be a crime. A much worse one than posting pages from a book. It does actual real harm to actual real people.

 

[Yaarel]

Was there something else that said he could show the book?

Yes. The instruction from WotC to @SlyFlourish said:

"As a final reminder before you dive into this new book, we would like to remind everyone that we ask you to refrain from posting content from INSIDE the book until our embargo lifts after August 1st, 2024."

Naturally, when the date arrived, the influencers in good faith did "dive into this book" while "posting content from inside the book". Showing images of pages is the understanding.

The problem was panicking afterward when realizing the "stitching together" from these deep dives.

 

[mellored]

Like showing Archives of Nethys for Pathfinder 2 and combat examples on Foundry VTT. Stuff that's just not available for D&D.

Archive of Nethys has permission. That's Paizo's decision to allow it there.

And D&D will put their stuff in creative commons, so it will be available.


Not that I have any issues supporting the little guy. But laws apply equally to both.

No flipping though the book (or movie) on camera, unless the owner said you could.

 

[Corinnguard]

I think the issue was one or two individuals flipping through every page slowly. Some suggesting on purpose.

From what I heard in Sly Flourish's and DnD Shorts' videos, both were excited about what they had seen in the 2024 PHB, and they wanted to get us excited about the new book too. Hence the deep dive. They were doing exactly what WoTC wanted them to do, to promote the first of three new D&D books.

 

[KYRON45]

Not if they are quick enough.

1: Buy stock.
2: force the company to hype something without spending resources to actually making a good product.
3: Sell stock, and be gone before the reviews come in.

Hostile Takeover Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Examples.

Do you have a ballpark figure on what it will cost to purchase the company?
I have $62.50 in my pocket...so i'm in!!!

 

[mamba]

Again. It's common law to not have a video where you flip though pages of a book.

again, that is not what Sly Flourish did (at least not through 20% or more)

A reminder would of been nice of course. But not WotC's responsible.

of course it is WotC’s responsibility. How come they sent guidelines with the PDFs but not the printed books…

 

[Minigiant]

From what I heard in Sly Flourish's and DnD Shorts' videos, both were excited about what they had seen in the 2024 PHB, and they wanted to get us excited about the new book too. Hence the deep dive. They were doing exactly what WoTC wanted them to do, to promote the first of three new D&D books.

Again

One of them posted every single page of the book slowly in a clear video.

The other poster many pages of the book in irregular excited flips in a still shoot.

One of those actions is expected of reviewers.
The other isn't.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Yes. The instruction from WotC to @SlyFlourish said:

"As a final reminder before you dive into this new book, we would like to remind everyone that we ask you to refrain from posting content from INSIDE the book until our embargo lifts after August 1st, 2024."

Naturally, when the date arrived, the influencers in good faith did "dive into this book" while "posting content from inside the book". Showing images of pages is the understanding.

The problem was panicking afterward when realizing the "stitching together" from these deep dives.

Does anyone know if Wizards have their one inhouse legal department or if they rely on legal services from Hasbro. If the latter, it would completely explain the difference. Hasbro legal would likely not be used to the culture around D&D and open gaming ideas and probably anyone there that would have that familiarity would likely be off on the weekend.
It would be even worse if they were using outside legal services.

 

[mamba]

I agree with you completely. But the shareholders can dump their shares and move on to the next new shiny. The employees on the other hand....

let’s face it, no one would be dumping Hasbro stocks over this. Things worth buying or dumping over are made at the executive level, and based on whether they deliver on them. Saying the poor CEO had no choice but to be a money grubbing ass is just an excuse

 

[mamba]

I think the issue was one or two individuals flipping through every page slowly. Some suggesting on purpose.

That's is beyond fair use for any sensible, responsible, or knowledgeable journalist.

and they also notified some YTers that showed a lot less than that (< 20%)

That's why poking the bear to be should be discouraged by the community. Because the bear will maul everything around.

maybe we should just leave the bear alone and not engage with it at all, if it is that dumb and out of control