Youtuber Slams “Sentient Bipedal Donut” Yngwie Malmsteen Over Copyright Strikes
At the best of times, Youtube is fraught with challenges and issues regarding copyright for creators. It’s drawn criticism in the past, with many Youtubers arguing that it’s harmful to them and the artist, who gains exposure from covers and other media using the music. In a new video titled “Old People Are Killing Music Youtube Channels,” Youtuber Bradley Hall—who you might know from his Metallica video—has slammed Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen over what he alleges are copyright strikes issued against channels that were critical of him (transcription via Killer Guitar Rigs).
“And speaking of illegal… Last year, my YouTube friends and all-around smashing chaps KDH and sixstringtv made some videos critiquing sentient bipedal donut Yngwie Malmsteen. Now, it’s well known that the big Swede actively censors negative opinions of himself on the internet.
“And this was no exception, of course. He swiftly issued takedowns on both their videos and penalized both their channels with full-on copyright strikes for no other reason then they just said critical things about him.”
Expanding on the issue, the guitarist said that he understands Youtube’s position but it’s harmful to creators.
“This is the most obviously blatant illegal abuse of the system that I’ve ever seen on YouTube. And he was only able to do this because he issued the takedowns from like a sort of temporary burner account. This is how ludicrously broken the system is. So he was able to dish out these strikes just like that from a random temporary account with no implications.
“Now, I’m usually on YouTube’s side. And I do understand that it’s essential for them to remain as impartial as possible. They have to just be the simple middleman, and they can’t get involved in any cases. But to me, it’s just so unfair, that there doesn’t exist any sort of pushback or punishment or penalization for people that find loopholes and abuse the system.”
Hall concluded the video with a levelheaded take about the changing nature of the music business, which all artists have been forced to figure out.
“Honestly, there’s probably more money to be made in music today than ever before. The difference is you’re not selling music as the main product anymore like you used to. You’re selling yourselves to your audience and hoping that your audience invests in you in return. You just have to be a lot more creative in how you do business now.”
