D&D (2024) D&D Player's Handbook Video Redactions & Takedowns

There's a lot of YouTube videos looking at the brand new Player's Handbook right now, and some of them include the YouTuber in question flipping through the new book on screen. A couple of those video creators have been asked by WotC to redact some of the content of their videos, with one finding that their video had been taken down entirely due to copyright claims from the company. It appears to be the folks who are flipping through the whole book on-screen who are running into this issue which, it seems, is based on piracy concerns.

Jorphdan posted on Twitter that "Despite fulfilling [WotC's] requests for the flip through video I was issues a copyright strike on my channel. Three strikes TERMINATES your channel. I don't think going over the 2024 PHB is worth losing my channel I've been working on since 2017. I'm pretty upset as none of this was said up front and when notified I did comply with their requirements. And I see other creators still have their videos up. Videos that are not unlike mine. Covering WotC is not worth losing my channel... Meanwhile please subscribe to my D&D free channel the Jocular Junction, where I'll most likely be making the majority of my TTRPG videos."

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Mike Shea, aka Sly Flourish, also posted a walkthrough of the Player's Handbook. While he didn't receive a copyright takedown action, after an email from WotC he has blurred out all the page images. "Note, I blurred out pictures of the book after Hasbro sent me an email saying they worried people would take screenshots of the book and build their own. Yes, it's complete b******t, but we must all do our part to ensure four billion dollar companies maximize shareholder value."

Popular YouTuber DnD Shorts had a video entitled 100% Walkthrough of the New Player's Handbook in D&D. That video is no longer available. However, his full spoilers review is still online.

 

[Morrus]

Why can I still see the DnDshorts' PHB24 flip through video, if there was a takedown order? Has it been rescinded?

Can you? I can't see it there. Just his review video, which is a different one.

 

[Corinnguard]

Why can I still see the DnDshorts' PHB24 flip through video, if there was a takedown order? Has it been rescinded?

Actually, there are two DnD Shorts videos on the PHB24. The one that was taken down was about an hour and half long, and did a page-by-page analysis. The other is 14+ minutes long. That one is still up and running.

 

[The Soloist]

Can you? I can't see it there. Just his review video, which is a different one.

My bad, I accessed it via my YT history views. I guess there is a redirect to his review video. (edit I only watched the hour-long video, not the review).

 

[SlyFlourish]

I wonder if there's an element of various companies being involved--WotC itself, their PR firm (who I assume handled the deal -- it was 360PR who Beth reached out to about a review copy), and the legal firm (Reynold Law, looks like)?

All of the emails I received about this came from D&D Creator Relations with a Wizards.com email address. I'm 95% sure it was Wizards themselves talking to me. It does look like an outside lawfirm submitted the copyright takedown notice to Jorphdan through YouTube.

One of the really nefarious things about this is that YouTube and Google are absolutely fine taking down channels or even killing whole accounts without proven justification. It's enough to just receive takedown notices to get them to block one's channel. So it's a four billion dollar company steering a trillion dollar company to smush independent creators like troublesome mosquitos.

 

[FlipaDex]

OK but seriously I cant wait for someone to leak a pdf. Im dying for it tbh.

 

[Retreater]

OK but seriously I cant wait for someone to leak a pdf. Im dying for it tbh.

The SRD should be coming to the Creative Commons soon enough.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The SRD should be coming to the Creative Commons soon enough.

I thought that the SRDs were supposed to come next year after all the books have been published?

 

[Parmandur]

I thought that the SRDs were supposed to come next year after all the books have been published?

Yup, that was the latest update about a month ago or so.

 

[Retreater]

I thought that the SRDs were supposed to come next year after all the books have been published?

That's "soon enough" for me.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

That's "soon enough" for me.

Ok, fair enough, I thought you were implying an earlier release.