We’re familiar with Nintendo’s actions of cracking down on YouTube Let’s Players and claiming their ad revenue for showcasing the company’s games back in 2013, and we’re also familiar with the backlash it received thereafter.
As reported by Gamasutra however, even though the company backed off at the time, it seems like Nintendo is having a change of heart regarding its copyright claims on YouTubers. Revealed on Tuesday, May 27, Nintendo announced that it’ll introduce new plans that will split the revenue generated by videos containing footage of Nintendo’s games between it and the video’s creator(s).
” Nintendo has been permitting the use of Nintendo copyrighted material in videos on YouTube under appropriate circumstances, ” a Nintendo spokesperson told Gamasutra. “ Advertisements may accompany those videos, and in keeping with previous policy that revenue is shared between YouTube and Nintendo. ”
” In addition, for those who wish to use the material more proactively, we are preparing an affiliate program in which a portion of the advertising profit is given to the creator, ” the spokesperson added . “ Details about this affiliate program will be announced in the future. ”
According to Gamasutra, a couple of tweets were sent out from the official Nintendo Twitter account on Tuesday morning, stating that those who want to record videos of the company’s games for YouTube will first need permission from it via an affiliate ad revenue sharing program.
While signed up with this affiliate program, the revenue generated by the video containing footage of one or more of Nintendo’s games will be split between Google, Nintendo and the video’s creator. The company has already noted that it has begun tagging recent YouTube videos featuring Nintendo games with Nintendo-related ads.
[ Gamasutra ]