LITELAB@HKU
YouTube Academy
Aspiring/Rising YouTubers can easily search for information on how to kick-start and operate a YouTube channel from multiple sources. However, none of them are dedicated to YouTubers based in Hong Kong.
We understand that YouTube is GLOBAL. However, the local Hong Kong context is still very relevant to your YouTube career. Thus, we strive to provide you with a perspective that is unique, never seen to local Hong Kong YouTubers. For example, there is no equivalent of safe harbour in Hong Kong. Therefore, YouTube may be liable for copyright infringements locally in case someone uploads a copyright infringing video on YouTube and the video can be played in Hong Kong.
We are here provide you with an international perspective, with the Hong Kong lens put on.
Copyright (for YouTubers)
Copyright is everything to a YouTuber. Music, literary work, film, and alike are automatically copyright protected at the moment when they are created, and only the creators may use them. That means you cannot use another person’s YouTube video as part of your YouTube video, unless certain exceptions apply. That is the same in the reverse. Copyright infringement may lead to civil litigation or even criminal punishment.
From the flip side, copyright also protects YOU, as a YouTuber or wanna-be. Others cannot use your video for any purpose, like posting it on Instagram, unless one or more of the exceptions apply. Therefore, to protect your video and to avoid breaking the law by infringing other’s copyright, you definitely should know more about copyright.
Our Tools for the Protection of Your Rights
The Generator helps you generate three documents would be created upon the filling in of an online form:
(1) A DMCA Takedown Notice (to be sent to the Platform, requiring the Platform to take the copyright infringing work down);
(2) A Cease and Desist Letter (to be sent to the Platform, requiring casesation of privacy breaching activity, if applicable; and when and where Safe Harbour does not apply, requiring the Platform to cease the copyright infringing activity immediately);
(3) A Cease and Desist Letter (to be sent to the Direct Copyright Infringer, requiring the person to cease the copyright infringing activity and, if applicable, the privacy breaching activity)
Privacy rights may be claimed in the Cease and Desists as well by filling in the suitable questions.
You may download and use the documents in accordance with your needs. They are available in both PDF and Word form. However, you may wish download them in Word form in case you need to edit the documents further.
A Josef Chatbot that helps YouTubers in in filling in YouTube Content ID Claim Appeal E-Froms, in particular if your reason of appeal is fair use.
It is tedious in filling in such forms and the tool is here to help. The tool do not scan your video and analyze your video using AI technology. This tool simply helps propse some wordings for you to answer the questions on the E-Form according to the information about the use of the materials, the copyright of which are alledgely infringed, provided to the chatbot.
More about the YouTube Business
The Business Model of Youtube content creating is simple enough. There are three of them for those who wish to make money by making videos only:
(1) Content creators upload videos onto the platform, and make them go live. As long as certain criteria are met (regarding number of subscriptions, views, inter alia, and may be changed from time to time), revenue generated from advertisements that pop out when videos are would go into your pocket. Intuitive enough, with more views, revenue that goes into your pocket would increase.
(2) There is also a membership function added in recent years that YouTube content creators on YouTube may collect memership fees like those who creators who operate their channels on Patreon, and members only videos and lives would created and held respectively for the members. Most Patreon creators make use of the YouTube Membership Scheme as well.
(3) Of course, YouTube content creators may also host lives, as with Twitch and more. With the superchat function, fans may tip YouTube content creators during live. However, of course, YouTube would be taking part of the tip, now at 30% as administrative fee.In order to trade NFTs, you will first need to choose a suitable marketplace. Crypto.com is the best option here for beginners, as the platform is home to thousands of NFTs – all of which you can buy without paying any fees. Plus, the market place also allows you to flip the NFT that you buy at your own listing price.
A. Hiring Talents
Some YouTubers may wish to hire talents to help edit and film videos and write scripts. Employement law is important and there is a distinction between employee and independent contractor. Click here for more information (the link directs you to other LITELAB@HKU Student Projects). If you wish to hire interns, click here. An NDA may be considered to be signed by them as well to protect ideas brainstormed becasue ideas cannot be copyrighted, click here to generate one. You may wish to hire talents on crowdwork platforms. However, in that case, foreign cooyright law should be taken into account, although most platforms expressly in the agreements with the crowdworkers state that the copyright of the work created by the crowdworkers shall be vested in the person who purchases the services. Some crowdwork platforms are Clickworker, and Amazon MTurk.
B. Including Ads and Sponsorships in videos
Some YouTubers in Hong Kong were arrested recently for luring people into illegal gambling through online platforms based in overseas countries and arrestes. So, you should make sure that the advertising of the products or services that you are advertising for are legal locally, and in places where the videos can be played.
C. Merchandise
There are agents that help you realize your ideas and create merchants like t-shirts. See more at e.g. junipercreates.com.
D. Privacy Concerns
In some countries, rights to privacy are strict and in filming others privacy rights of others should be taken care of, e.g., when interviewing a person on the street with camera on the person may not have consented (even impliedly) to have the interview clip uploaded onto YouTube.
Disclaimer: This deliverable constitutes student research as part of coursework for LITELAB@HKU and nothing contained should be construed nor relied upon as legal advice by HKU nor its students nor instructors.