Q: My website www.Clipedia.co offers a paid index that gathers youtube videoclips. is there any copyright violation?
A:
Maybe. This is a very interesting situation where you are essentially aggregating or curating particular content from another site, and earning money by doing so. The exact way you are conducting your business will likely inform the full answer to your question, and without further details on exactly what you're doing (including how your website code works), it is difficult to provide a more specific answer. Even if you are not infringing, you may be violating YouTube's terms of service, so there may be some risk that your business is adversely affected if YouTube blocks your site(s).
I recommend you engage a lawyer with experience in copyright claims--specifically fair use defense or someone with experience defending online businesses against copyright violations. Many attorneys work only on plaintiff (enforcement) copyright matters, so try to identify someone who has been successful on the defense side.
Good luck!
Griffin Klema
https://klemalaw.com
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
