Read very carefully and think about the seriousness of what happened.
Unfortunately, for many very difficult reasons, I had to decide to register my portfolio with Content ID (starting December 7, 2023).
This is due to the fact that one of the scammers registered some of my tracks in the CID system and sent out illegal claims on someone else’s behalf. And as you understand, in such a situation, when someone else is managing my portfolio, I cannot influence the remove of claims. Hundreds of copies of collections with several dozen of my produced soundtracks have spread across dozens of streaming platforms (including YouTube Music).
This scammer didn't just take away monetization from my clients, he blocked their videos completely! Can you imagine the scale of the problems?
It was also recently discovered that my tracks were included in the soundtrack of a game distributed on the Sony PlayStation and Xbox console market without an appropriate license. And many more similar incidents occurred due to the fault of an individual who illegally used part of my portfolio.
The choice consisted of two options: allow the scammer to continue to use the false rights, who sent claims to my true clients and ruin my brand's reputation or deal with it at the legal level, confirm my rights and put the burden of checking licenses to rights management agency. What would you choose?
After I dealt with this problem at the cost of a lot of nerves and time, I was forced to protect my portfolio and my clients at least on the YouTube platform. To prevent thieves from taking audio fingerprints from tracks that don't belong to them and not sending out claims on someone else’s behalf. Even if this happens, now at least it will be faster and easier to deal with it than before.
From this moment on, I transferred the rights to manage my portfolio (~80%. excluding some logos, idents, several soundscapes and most percussion tracks) on YouTube Content ID to the Elite Alliance Music. All tracks on the Envato platform that came under the EAM's management were marked accordingly in advance.
To speed up the claims clearance process, you can always write to EAM team directly.
https://epicelite.com/contact
https://elitealliance.net/#contact
or
eam@elitealliance.net
This method allows you to remove a claim faster than through a request in the YouTube author’s dashboard.
An author doesn’t make claims on YouTube; this is handled by a third party — a special agency for managing rights.
Hundreds of projects with my content are released every week, I cannot know about all of them.
When opening a dispute, claims are hidden from the author, I’ve no idea what is happening in the background until (IF) a manager contacts me regarding a specific request.
Any of the clients who have a current sync license(s) for my track(s) will be exempt from claims. Elite Alliance Music cooperates with Envato Elements\Envato AudioJungle and strictly complies with licensing agreements. The rules of the license agreement are set by Envato, NOT by the authors.
> Information about Envato license restrictions <
Before opening a dispute, study information about correct registration of items.
There is a big difference in licenses depending on which of the two platforms you purchased it on. The Elements license is much more limited than the Audiojungle license.
"You can’t re-distribute the Item as a musical item, as stock, in a tool or template, or with source files. You can’t do this with an Item either on its own or bundled with other items (such as an audio compilation), and even if you modify the Item. You can’t re-distribute the Item as-is or with superficial modifications. These things are not allowed even if the re-distribution is for free."
Examples: You can’t modify a music track and distribute it on a music CD. You can’t add lyrics over the top of a music track and sell it as your own song on iTunes.
AudioJungle Music License
As an example from the Envato Elements License FAQ:
Q. - Can I use music items downloaded from the Envato Elements library in YouTube videos?
A. - This depends on how the music is used in the YouTube video. The value of the End Product (i.e. the video) must not be predominantly derived from the music; instead, the value of the End Product must stem from the combination of the music and the visual (as well as any other elements). If it’s likely that people will be clicking on the video mainly to listen to the music, it is likely that this video is in breach of the license.
Q. - Can I create an End Product that is a music track from songs on Envato Elements?
A. - No, you cannot create an End Product that is a music track with songs from Envato Elements.
another one:
Q. - Do I need to relicense an item each time I use it?
A. - Yes, you do. You need a license for each end project. This ensures contributors are paid for your usage of each asset & you and your clients have the legal right to use the item.
In relation to YouTube it means: You need separate license for every video. You can’t use one “Elements license” on all videos.
Envato Elements License FAQ
If your dispute involving an Envato Elements license was rejected, you probably did not use the license correctly. The most common mistake in 99% of cases is using one license for all videos. You need to register each video separately. This is Envato’s requirement. Otherwise, the system that distributes fee from your subscription will not correctly distribute royalties among all the authors from whom you uploaded content.
Envato Relicense-Items instructions
"Envato provide license certificates for audio you download on Envato Elements and AudioJungle, so should a copyright notice appear on a video containing music that is tracked by Content ID, it can be easily cleared."
Guide to YouTube Content ID & Copyright Notices - Envato Help Center
Additional information
https://servicesdirectory.withyoutube.com/directory/epic-elite
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