Many Twitch streamers are waking up to find their archived streams—known as VODs—permanently deleted due to DMCA takedown requests. Unlike typical cases where creators can file counterclaims, Twitch is bypassing that step entirely this time.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), enacted in 1998 to fight piracy, empowers copyright holders to issue takedown notices for alleged infringements.
This law remains controversial, as companies have sometimes used it to suppress content they dislike, even without clear legal grounds.
Platforms like Twitch can host user-generated content under 'safe harbor' provisions, but they must swiftly remove flagged material upon receiving a valid DMCA notice.
Typically, streamers can counterclaim if they believe the takedown is unwarranted—claims are often overly aggressive, especially for fair use or incidental content.
YouTube has long faced criticism for automated deletions, and now Twitch appears to be following suit. Background music is a staple in many streams, but while Twitch previously muted detected copyrighted audio in VODs, it's now erasing entire archives.
eSports consultant Rod 'Slasher' Breslau was among the first to publicize a Twitch email he received, stating his channel "has been subject to one or more DMCA takedown notices and the identified content has been removed." Notably, it clarified no counterclaim opportunity was provided, framing it as a disclaimer rather than a formal strike.
Countless other streamers, including non-affiliates, have reported identical emails.
Twitch issued a statement confirming the actions. A spokesperson told Kotaku the platform received thousands of copyright notices from owners.
Faced with this volume, Twitch likely opted for bulk deletions to minimize legal risks, as manually reviewing each claim would strain resources.
This doesn't spell the end for music in streams. Twitch recently launched "Soundtrack by Twitch," a royalty-free library designed to help creators avoid these issues altogether.
