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In brief: Following an investigation into the huge number of fake movie trailers seen on YouTube – most of which use AI to some degree – and how the money they generate is funneled back to the movie studios, YouTube has paused monetization for two of the biggest channels that create them.
You’ve likely seen at least one fake trailer, aka fan trailer, on YouTube. There are ones for sequels or new franchise entries that aren’t being made (Henry Cavil and Margot Robbie in James Bond), some that place actors in shows they aren’t appearing in (Leonardo DiCaprio in Squid Game season 3), and lots for real upcoming movies that have been stitched together from previous footage and AI clips. An example of the latter is a recent Superman trailer that tricked French national television into believing it was genuine.
The fake trailers can receive views in the hundreds of thousands, millions, and even hundreds of millions, leaving many wondering why these clips are allowed to remain monetized. An investigation by Deadline discovered that instead of being hit with copyright strikes, several Hollywood studios ask YouTube to ensure the ad revenue generated by the videos flows in their direction.
The fact that these fakes bring more publicity to the real movies and shows they are copying further dissuades IP owners from taking action.
The makers say the clips aren’t harmful, but exploiting actors without their permission and the use of AI has drawn the wrath of actors’ union SAG-AFTRA.
“Monetizing unauthorized, unwanted, and subpar uses of human-centered IP is a race to the bottom. It incentivizes technology companies and short-term gains at the expense of lasting human creative endeavor,” the union said.
It seems YouTube took notice of Deadline’s report and the reaction to it. Just days after the investigation was published, the platform turned off ad revenue on Screen Culture and KH Studio, two of the biggest fan-trailer channels.
YouTube has suspended its partnership program with the channels for violating monetization policies, cutting off the ad revenue they previously earned from the fake trailers and other similar videos they produce.
YouTube’s policies state that any creators borrowing material from others must “change it significantly to make it your own” in order for it to be monetized. Furthermore, the content must not be duplicative or repetitive and should not be made for the sole purpose of getting views. Anything manipulated or doctored in a way that misleads viewers isn’t allowed either.
KH Studio’s founder told Deadline, “I’ve been running KH Studio full-time for over three years now, putting everything into it. It’s tough to see it grouped under “misleading content” in the demonetization decision, when my goal has always been to explore creative possibilities – not to misrepresent real releases.”
Screen Culture founder Nikhil P. Chaudhari says that most people know his channel’s creations are fan-made and fantasy, raising the question “What’s the harm?”
YouTube, it seems, is no longer turning a blind eye.
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