Twitch streamer PlayWithJambo has gone viral for her creative way of getting around the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) restrictions on the platform.
The streaming giant has started responding to a large amount of DMCA claims that were filed in June and, as a result, has been banning users for copyright infractions without warning.
To get around the potential copyright claims, Twitch has suggested its users mute all in-game music and audio. Jambo’s response to the perceived challenge was to play Skyrim with no audio for a “DMCA friendly stream” by performing live dubbing of the game.
Twitch said "mute all in-game audio" and I said "bet" pic.twitter.com/4B3sN5ofRc
— Jambo All The Way 🎅🏼🎄 (@PlayWithJambo) November 13, 2020
The video pokes fun at how ridiculous it will be to play games without any audio, and other streamers have been posting similar clips that draw attention to the ridiculous nature of Twitch’s request.
hey guys gonna be streaming guitar hero in a bit haha https://t.co/MeJ7m5zKi9 pic.twitter.com/1gSQg4fFQa
— Casper 👻🐊 (@Casperdile) November 12, 2020
Twitch has suggested we mute our game audio to avoid #DMCA strikes. I will just have to do it all myself.
This is what my streams will look like from now on. pic.twitter.com/RRdZi1UAPs
— JoshMyth🦌 (@JoshMyth_) November 13, 2020
So I took Twitch's advice and muted the game audio!
No DMCA Strikes for me! pic.twitter.com/VC6f2KPFxU
— JayCaulls (@JayCaulls) November 12, 2020
Twitch has tried to outline the issues in a string of tweets that link to blogs and creator tools that aim to help content creators. “We were as surprised by the number of music-related DMCA takedowns as you were. Before May, we received fewer than 50 per year. Now, we’re receiving thousands each week. This led to the warning email some of you received in October,” it stated.
The Copyright Creator Camp explains that Twitch is currently working to implement creator tools, such as approved music via Soundtrack by Twitch, and options to automatically clear out all VODs and clips from their channel.
They have since come under fire as these solutions are viewed by many as being impractical. Twitch has since released a post addressing community concerns, admitting that the platform has a lot of work to do, while also urging users to educate themselves on the issues surrounding copyright.