Why Major K-Pop Youtube Channels Are Getting Shut Down

Could this be the end of reaction videos?

YouTube is cracking down on K-Pop Reaction channels, and reactors are not happy about it.

 

JoseOchoaTV, Ridgy720, KMREACTS, and BANGTANGSUS are only a few of the many K-Pop YouTubers this copyright crackdown has affected.

Some YouTubers, like BRIS X LIFE, have already lost their channels. Others, like JREKML who has over one million subscribershave received warning strikes and are now scrambling to take precautions by deleting copyrighted content.

 

Three strikes and you’re out; that is YouTube’s copyright policy.

If a channel receives one or two copyright notices from copyright holders, the user must demonetize and/or delete the copyrighted video in order to return to “good standing”. If the user fails to take action and receives a third strike, the channel will be deleted.

Old school ‘reactors’ have been around since the start of YouTube’s K-Pop community. They are no strangers to YouTube’s unpredictable copyright infringement sweeps, but this one even took them by surprise.

 

The videos targeted for deletion are being manually, not automatically, detected.

This means that copyright holders have been actively searching YouTube for their copyrighted content themselves, rather than allowing a computerized system to catch copyrighted content through audio and video.

 

Most of the copyright strikes are allegedly coming from CJ E&M. 

Sal-V of SALV & FAMILY reacting to Wanna One’s  “Energetic”.

CJ E&M represents popular K-Pop groups and solo artists, including Wanna One and JBJ. 

 

When the crackdown began, YouTubers wondered whether the CJ E&M account behind the strikes was legitimate, but a recent notice from DIA TV has confirmed it.

 

The videos most likely to be targeted are live performances, like M Countdown, but any videos featuring CJ E&M content are at risk of deletion.

According to BRIS X LIFE, it doesn’t matter how recently the video was uploaded. Even videos that were uploaded “years ago” can cause copyright strikes.

 

In light of recent events, K-Pop YouTubers have taken to the platform to express their frustration.

“I don’t see the point of it”, Kenny said, in a recent vlog. “This is free promotion for the companies, for the shows. We don’t make money from reaction videos.”

 

Cameron Phillip claimed his channel was “wrongfully deleted”.

He argued that since “reaction videos are under fair use law on YouTube”, CJ E&M should be allowed to copyright videos, but not strike channels.

 

K-Pop reactors and their fans fear that this could be the end of reaction videos.