Oddworld developers encouraging Youtubers

If you’re one of the millions of people using Youtube on a daily basis, you may have heard about the recent changes to the site’s monetization policies. On Monday, a new Content ID program has taken effect which allows videos to be flagged for copyright infringements, thus stopping the uploader from making any money from said video.

Any video containing more than 10 seconds of videogame cutscenes, trailers or in-game music is getting flagged.

However, not all developers are too bothered about their content being used and showcased on Youtube. In fact, many actually welcome it. Free advertising is never a bad thing after all. Abe creators Oddworld have publically given permission for anyone to use their content in any video, including trailers, cutscenes and music from their games.

We at Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc. would like to reassure YouTubers that we continue to give our explicit permission to anyone on the service to broadcast using Oddworld games, including Abe’s Oddysee, Abe’s Exoddus, Munch’s Oddysee, Stranger’s Wrath, and the upcoming New ‘n’ Tasty (and any updated, HD versions).

This includes Let’s Plays, commercial trailers, and screen shots.

They go on to say,

In fact, nothing makes us happier than to see you guys enjoying our games, and it’s something we encourage wholeheartedly. So as we’ll continue to push our content through our own YouTube channel, we have no plans to issue copyright claims to others.

If you are on the end of one of these new ContentID copyright flags as a result of showing Oddworld game footage, please contact us.

Many uploaders spend a lot of time on their videos and to have their videos stop earning money for them is a big blow. So it’s refreshing to see developers giving express permission to Youtubers. If only other developers would do the same.