Expanse Issue Update (and cat picture for cuteness).
Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you all a brief update on the current situation with The Expanse! I have been reaching out to a lot of people via twitter and email. I've received no help or communication from YouTube yet. However, James S.A. Corey did send me a private message on twitter talking about my situation (which is awesome)! Apparently, they don't feel there is much they can personally do, especially as they don't understand the YouTube copyright system well. But they did actually confirm that Lasso Entertainment and/or Group has no claim on any of the Expanse material (as I suspected).
My episode 8 re-upload attempts (which were recently blocked on YouTube) are still under dispute. I filed disputes for them immediately after they were blocked. So, I'm waiting on Lasso to respond at the moment. If they do deny my dispute again, I'm seriously considering trying to appeal this decision. I know this is very risky for me as it could result in a copyright strike and a loss of monetization while that strike is in place. So, it's a big decision. However, having James S.A. Corey's confirmation that Lasso has no claim on the material (which I could show to YouTube if necessary) makes me a little more willing to take that chance. That being said, if you guys have any thoughts about this situation, I'd be happy to hear them as always!
Oh and this is one of the kittens I'm currently taking care of - he's the brother of Binx (the little black kitten that likes to drown toy mice lol). Thanks everyone!
Comments (10)
Good to hear you got some encouraging words from JSAC, Molly. For what it's worth, I think the person you heard from was probably Ty Franck, who is the one who usually uses the James S.A. Corey moniker on social media. Daniel Abraham uses his own name, or the twitter handle @AbrahamHanover. I believe Dan commented briefly on one of your first YouTube videos, so I think it's safe to say that both halves of JSAC are on your side. It may not matter a whole lot, though. The system seems to be pretty broken. A somewhat related story: I have a friend who is a singer/songwriter who had a couple of MTV hits in the 90s. I did her website and YouTube page quite a few (15?) years ago, and back then, we had a hell of a time posting my friend's OWN videos (yes, the ones she herself made, performing songs she wrote) -- every time we tried to put one up, her former record label would block it and threaten us. And at the time, there didn't appear to be anything we could do, so we just gave up. But this shows how little control artists (of all stripes) seem to have of their own work, or things derived from it, when it comes to YouTube. We can only hope that the increased scrutiny social media companies have been under lately might spill over into this area as well. It's outrageous what's happening to you, and other content providers, and how little recourse you seem to be afforded to defend yourself against these crooks. Keep fighting the good fight, Molly. We're all behind you.
I don't know how these claims work, but It's unbelievable that Youtube hasn't responded. It's due to their gaping hole in the copyright engine that allows random people to come in and claim content and disrupt channels. Appealing to the perpetrators themselves seems to be a lost cause. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Did you try dropping a line to Jeff Bezos himself...He's a big fan of the show himself. :)
There is a post on the expanse subreddit regarding your situation, I’m assuming you’ve seen it. A few hours ago someone commented with a link to a video posted by another victim back in October that goes in-depth on Lasso and their relentless trolling practices. He mentioned being on the verge of suing their supposed parent company, but it’s April and they’re still at it so not sure if he went through with it. May be worth reaching out to him to see if he’s made headway, I noticed he’s been posting again on his channel. His email is 1201beyond@gmail.com.
Thank you! I actually saw his video when I was researching this whole situation. Reaching out to him is a good idea, you're right. I'm uncertain as to whether he'll be successful in suing the parent company, largely because it seems they were sold to a different parent company. The whole thing is incredibly shady. I'm thinking if they reject my latest dispute, I'll appeal. Then if they copyright strike me, it'll suck, but I'll finally at least have the right to speak to someone from YouTube and hopefully that'll fix it.
While I certainly sympathize with the crap you are going through... It is pretty damn amazing you are communicating with the authors over something like this.
It definitely was cool! I don't want to say it makes the whole situation worth it because it's a pain in the ass and I feel badly for people waiting to watch the reactions through YouTube... but I was very excited to get a response!
Hope they've seen some of your reviews and appreciate the quality as much as we do.
Thats cool that the fictional James S.A. Corey reached out... to comment on a fictional copyright holder. Do they let you attach a screenshot of his message to an appeal? Not that it matters since its up to Lasso to stop being assholes.
I believe there is a section where you can upload files if you appeal. So, yes, there is that at least! And it was very cool of them (or their representative, if they have someone else running their twitter - I'm not sure).