Youtube Copyright School
"Youtube Copyright School" is an Youtube short of Happy Tree Friends
which was released on March 24, 2011, It was created to give YouTubers information about the consequences of copyright use.
it became popular on April 15, 2011
Mark Hamill is the narrator of this video.
Summary[edit]
Russell learns some valuable lessons about the consequences of copyright use.
Plot[edit]
The episode starts as a curtain rises in a cinema to reveal the movie title Lumpy and the Lumpettes: The Movie, and Toothy, Sniffles, Mime, Cuddles, Giggles, and Russell begin to watch the film. The narrator says how everybody has been looking forward to the movie, even Lumpy, who then walks in and sits in front of Russell, blocking his view. Trying to get a glimpse of the movie screen, Russell shifts around in his seat and eventually gets out his video-recording camera and records a clip from the movie.
As Russell sends the video clip to YouTube, the narrator tells him off for copying someone else's content, and makes Russell lower his head in embarrassment. The narrator informs Russell that uploading someone else's video content without asking for permission first can get him into a lot of trouble, and that it could be copyright infringement. Russell gasps and drops his phone. As a copyright sign appears in front of Russell, the scene fades into Russell standing with a book, a paintbrush, a laptop, and a musical note circling his head. Russell, becoming dizzy, yells in pain and vomits from watching the spinning objects as the narrator explains what copyright is. The speaker then goes on to define what copyright infringement is before a laptop is seen with a clip from Lumpy's movie loading and being distributed to other laptops as it will occur by getting reproduced, distributed, performed or publicly displayed without the permission of the copyright holder or the legal right to do so.
In the next scene, Russell appears in his house with a treasure chest filled with coins and goods behind his desk. When Russell skips over to his laptop, the narrator tells Russell that even though YouTube, despite warnings from other people given to other users, is a free site and must order people to stay off of it or go on it and be used, he can still get into a lot of serious trouble for copyright infringement, which seems to confuse him. As the speaker tells him that he could be sued, a gavel appears above Russell and pounds on his head.
The narrator tells Russell that he could lose his money due to copyright infringement, and as Russell's treasure chest disappears, he yelps in surprise. He is also told that he could lose his YouTube account, and as Russell's laptop disappears, he screams in fear. Russell is told that he only has a few chances, and that if YouTube recieves a valid notification of alleged copyright infringement from a copyright holder for one of his videos, the video will be removed in accordance with the law, and that he'll be notified by via email and in his account and will get a strike. He is then told that if he is a repeat offender, he will get banned for life and fired for stealing content. As Russell sighs hopelessly and feels like he's fired, the narrator gives him an idea: to create his own video, just to make Russell delighted and decide to do his own video.
The next scene starts off with Lumpy and the Lumpettes performing in front of a live audience. Russell once again attempts to film the performance, but is stopped when the narrator once again warns him about copyright protecting Lumpy's Live Performance, frustrating Russell, who may still not be able to upload it without permission. After a few moments of thinking, Russell gets an idea on how to do his own videos. Later, a homemade video of Russell dancing and holding a sign saying "I love Lumpy" is shown playing on YouTube. However, as the narrator tells him that his video of Lumpy's types may be clever as if he got permission from it, because mash-ups and remixes may still require permission from the copyright owner, depending on whether or not they are of fair use. A "Fair Use" sign suddenly appears and shoves Russell off screen. As the narrator explains fair use, Russell tries to push the sign away, but gets his face squashed, then gets pushed back.
Lumpy is then seen using his laptop and is shocked to see Russell's unauthorized work. The narrator tells Lumpy how to take down someone's content, and Lumpy deletes the video. As Russell discovers that his video has been taken down, the narrator tells him that he can send YouTube a notice if a video is wrongfully removed. However, the narrator also warns him that if the process is misused, he may end up in court and get in a lot of trouble. After being hit with another gavel, Russell finally shuts down his laptop.
Russell is then seen making his own video by juggling piranhas in a cannon on a ship. The narrator then commends Russell since he is finally creating his own content and is therefore the owner of his own copyright; after all, original videos are what make YouTube interesting. Unfortunately, Russell sneezes, causing his hands to be bitten by the piranhas, followed by him being blasted through the floor of the ship and making the ship sink. As Russell is attacked by the piranhas, the narrator finishes off by telling the viewer to read the copyright links at the bottom of every YouTube page for more information. The episode ends by closing in on an injured Russell.
Controversy[edit]
This video has over 69,000 dislikes to 19,000 likes as of late August 2018 (111,000 and 47,000 in early November 2021), making it the most disliked episode of Happy Tree Friends (as with every other copyright video from YouTube).
"YouTube Copyright School" was panned even by fans of the show, and holds a 3.4/10 rating on IMDB. In his "Animated Atrocities" review of the video, The Mysterious Mr. Enter claims that "it is like the Annoying Orange talking about bullying, and YouTube is just using the Happy Tree Friends for their innocent designs."
By not crediting the creators of Happy Tree Friends, YouTube basically broke their own copyright rules.
Russell somehow doesn't die from getting crushed by the copyright law card or getting attacked by the piranhas. This misses the entire point of a series known for its violent content.
This article "Youtube Copyright School" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Youtube Copyright School. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
