MLB YouTube Policy

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

Does anyone know MLB's policy regarding "copyright infringement" in posting on YouTube or any other site on the net? I know you can't upload broadcast clips of World Series/playoff games of any year, but I'm unsure if clips of old non-playoff games are included in this ban. For example, would the following be banned:

-old clips from ESPN regular season Sunday Night games

-a regular season clips of local broadcasts i.e. a 1991 Braves game on WTBS, or an old Mets clip from WOR with Bob Murphy/Ralph Kiner

-Old clips of This Week In Baseball

-Blooper, follies, great plays from old videotapes

-Milestone HR clips

-The Lou Gehrig 1939 speech at Yankee Stadium

-Clips of baseball documentaries aired on free TV

The only thing I know you can upload is self-recorded footage from MLB games(usually from cameras with video capabilities), which is ironic, since most teams have policies against recording games in person.

I have some I'd like to share, but I do not wish for my YouTube account to be suspended for violating copyright policies, which is why I ask this question. I find it amazing that you can upload clips from old Super Bowls with no action from the NFL (likewise broadcasts of NBA and NHL finals games) but God forbid you might upload a clip from the 1982 NLCS and and MLB demands it be taken down. I wouldn't mind if all these clips were available at MLB.com, but most are not. I'm an MLB.com subscriber, and I find their archives quite lacking, IMO. It would be great to view them on YouTube.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Williamsburg2599]

[QUOTE=Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock;1143286]Does anyone know MLB's policy regarding "copyright infringement" in posting on YouTube or any other site on the net? I know you can't upload broadcast clips of World Series/playoff games of any year, but I'm unsure if clips of old non-playoff games are included in this ban. For example, would the following be banned:

-old clips from ESPN regular season Sunday Night games

Yep.

-a regular season clips of local broadcasts i.e. a 1991 Braves game on WTBS, or an old Mets clip from WOR with Bob Murphy/Ralph Kiner

Yep.

-Old clips of This Week In Baseball

Not sure, but probably.


-Blooper, follies, great plays from old videotapes

Yep.

-Milestone HR clips

Yep.

-The Lou Gehrig 1939 speech at Yankee Stadium

Probably not.

-Clips of baseball documentaries aired on free TV

Might depend on footage used.


/QUOTE]

Answers above in bold. Anything I said yes to is from personal experience. There are weird rules to it though. I had a video of pictures of famous events matched up with audio calls of it and it survived several MLB youtube "raids."

[Erik Bedard]

I'd say most of them would be banned. Maybe not the Gehrig speech, but probably the rest. Even videos composed of several 30-second highlights got taken down.

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

That's what I figured, and pretty much what I expect from MLB. At a time when they should be doing whatever they can to attract the attention of the younger generation, they block the posting of even the most inconsequential games. Clips of the other major sports are being posted, thousands are commenting on them, sending them to their friends, and helping to cultivate new fans via this expanding medium. Meanwhile MLB wants you to pay to see them. Is it more greed, arrogance, ignorance, or a mix of the above?

I don't see how banning it's history from the Youtube generation helps the future of MLB in any way.

[brewcrew82]

I completely agree. I don't see the problem with MLB allowing fan made compilations being made and posted on the web. If anything it could help attract the younger generation to the game.

I can understand why they don't allow current games to be put on there, especially when they want you to purchase their products such as MLBtv or whatever, but clips from the pre-1990 period will just generally go unviewed because MLB doesn't open up its video vaults in the same way that NFL Films does. If that was the case I guess I could understand but still it's overly harsh and quite myopic.

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

I completely agree. I don't see the problem with MLB allowing fan made compilations being made and posted on the web. If anything it could help attract the younger generation to the game.

I can understand why they don't allow current games to be put on there, especially when they want you to purchase their products such as MLBtv or whatever, but clips from the pre-1990 period will just generally go unviewed because MLB doesn't open up its video vaults in the same way that NFL Films does. If that was the case I guess I could understand but still it's overly harsh and quite myopic.

Yea, I can see banning recent games given contractual obligations and MLB.com/TV. But older stuff, no way. And it's not as if they are offering the majority of the available archival video for sale or for viewing on MLB.com anyway.

Great way to promote the product, boys.

[digglahhh]

When I was working at the Stats Dept at MLB, I was asked if I wanted to participate in an offseason project with the Legal Dept, there was extra money involved, so I said, "Sure, why not."

The "project" was basically raiding local news sites, and video hosting services and sending cease and desist threats to them. That's not the type of guy I am. While I understand copyright issues, I really didn't see the posting of these types of events as an egregious violation, that is to say that it didn't seem like a substantial economic threat, or even threat to site traffic, etc. After a day, I told the Dept that I preferred not to participate in this project. From my limited experience, MLB is rather vigilant and strict about enforcing their copyright laws. I'd imagine that most of what you are asking about is indeed covered by the policy.

[OleMissCub]

UGHHHHHHHHH

I HATE YOUTUBE!!!

I spent so much time making videos so the masses and youngesters could enjoy footage of the old ballplayers. I posted them all here, but YouTube took them all down.

God forbid we show footage of long dead athletes to try and help improve the image and interest in their sport.

It's freaking free advertising. I hate MLB & YouTube with every ounce of my being.

[digglahhh]

What's the animosity for YouTube about, OleMiss?

They host a video, MLB sees the video and sends them a letter threatening legal action if they don't remove the copyrighted material, YouTube complies - with the law!

You wanna say it's petty of MLB to chase down YouTube, and perhaps even moreso, small hosting sites, I'm with ya.

But, YouTube is simply reacting to the very real legal pressure that MLB (entirely within their rights) puts and them.

That's like me saying I hate the damn bootleggers on 125, I mean they have the nerve to fold up the blanket and run when the cops hop out....

[OleMissCub]

What's the animosity for YouTube about, OleMiss?

They host a video, MLB sees the video and sends them a letter threatening legal action if they don't remove the copyrighted material, YouTube complies - with the law!

You wanna say it's petty of MLB to chase down YouTube, and perhaps even moreso, small hosting sites, I'm with ya.

But, YouTube is simply reacting to the very real legal pressure that MLB (entirely within their rights) puts and them.

That's like me saying I hate the damn bootleggers on 125, I mean they have the nerve to fold up the blanket and run when the cops hop out....

Let me make it more clear. I LOVE YouTube....when I busted out with "hating YouTube", I was basically referring to MLB's policy.

I'm well aware it isn't YouTube's fault.

The NFL has somewhat laxed their YouTube policy because someone finally convinced the knuckleheads that "hey, this is free advertising for our product." Hopefully MLB will follow suit.

[TonyStarks]

In an age where MLB is trying to expand it's base...why prevent YouTube from Broadcasting their product to millions?

It's free advertising! I never understand the greed of it all.

[OleMissCub]

In an age where MLB is trying to expand it's base...why prevent YouTube from Broadcasting their product to millions?

It's free advertising! I never understand the greed of it all.

Especially when it involves footage that was filmed LITERALLY 80 years ago. It's not like I was showing clips of modern games or anything.

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

You Tube ESPN clip of Gooden's 1996 No-Hitter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGRm46pcEOk


Intersesting how long this will last before MLB wants it removed.

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGRm46pcEOk


Intersesting how long this will last before MLB wants it removed.

Apparently not long. But can MLB do anything about this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IBlRlDUP00

[SteveJRogers]

-The Lou Gehrig 1939 speech at Yankee Stadium

Probably not.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the famous Gehrig footage is a Public Domain footage from some newswire coverage or something. But I'm sure they'd put the foot down if somehow you found an official Yankee "film" of it.