Update: Popular Video Game Music YouTube Channel Receives Even More Copyright Takedown Notices, Leaving YouTube
Posted on February 02 2022 by Alexis S. Anderson
Update: Popular video game music YouTube channel GilvaSunner announced on Twitter that they had received an additional 2,200 copyright takedown notices, following the initial 1,300 takedown notices issued last week.
Considering the events of these past few weeks, GilvaSunner also announced that they will be deleting their YouTube channel on Friday, February 5th, after more than 11 years of sharing video game music on the platform.
After thinking about this a lot over the past few days, I’ve decided that at this point it’s really not worth it to keep the channel up any longer, and will therefore delete the GilvaSunner YouTube channel (or what’s left of it) this coming Friday.
— GilvaSunner (@GilvaSunner) February 1, 2022
GilvaSunner finished their announcement with the following statement:
“There are many different opinions over what is happening and that’s fine! I can understand pretty much all sides. I know this is disappointing to read for a lot of you, but I hope you can respect my decision to want to move on at this point.
I want to thank you for the 11+ years of support (or more if you followed me before this account) and the many nice messages you shared with me. It’s been truly amazing to see the VGM scene grow so much! Please keep supporting the composers and community!”
This truly is the end of an era.
Original: Nintendo is notorious for tightly safeguarding its intellectual property, a tendency it demonstrated in a big way this weekend when it issued over 1,300 copyright takedown notices to popular video game music YouTube channel, GilvaSunner. This round of takedowns targeted several Legend of Zelda soundtracks including A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. However, as of now it appears The Legend of Zelda, The Wind Waker, Majora’s Mask, Hyrule Warriors, The Adventure of Link, and A Link Between Worlds soundtracks uploaded by GilvaSunner remain unaffected.
Over 1300 copyright blocks on the YT channel today. Here are all the soundtracks Nintendo has blocked this time. pic.twitter.com/AqSyIdc4iJ
— GilvaSunner (@GilvaSunner) January 29, 2022
Following a slew of claims in 2020, the operator of the channel acknowledged that Nintendo is well within its rights to issue such notices, but opines that there is little alternative for fans who want to listen to the soundtracks apart from the games– even pleading on Twitter in 2019 for Nintendo to upload its soundtracks to music streaming platforms.
This news will come as a disappointment to many, particularly because GilvaSunner does not monetize the videos uploaded to the channel so the harm to Nintendo appears minimal. Until the company makes its soundtracks more accessible, a subset of fans will likely support the uploading of its soundtracks online by third parties.
Could it be that Nintendo is gearing up to release some of its music on streaming platforms in the coming years? Or to release some kind of bundle with digital access to a handful of its most noteworthy game soundtracks? Maybe the concern is more with possible royalties contractually reserved for major composers the company works with being lost by the unauthorized uploads. In any case, while the company is liable to garner some ill will from fans for actions of this sort, it is Nintendo’s prerogative to play things close to the vest and it is entitled to protect its IP.
How do you feel about this round of takedown notices by Nintendo? Do you agree that third party uploading is desirable while Nintendo’s music remains unavailable on major steaming platforms? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Source: GilvaSunner (via Nintendo Life)
Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.
