Earlier this month, a mod that added Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 to Grand Theft Auto V started making the rounds. The twist? In the game, it was meant to be used as a bomb, because the real Note 7 can get a little explode-y from time-to-time. Samsung, apparently, did not love the joke.
If you try to watch one of the most popular videos of the mod, you’ll find that it’s been taken down via copyright claim. The culprit? “Samsung Electronics America, Inc and its affiliates.” Other videos of the mod, however, are still fine and dandy. Perhaps Samsung was trying to file more claims, but the device they were using exploded before they could complete the process.
The original video’s uploader, who goes by the handle sdaddy345, isn’t happy about the situation. His YouTube channel, Modded Games, had just started gaining some traction thanks to the Note 7 parody video. In a thread about the situation on Reddit, he said he’s filed a counter-claim, but he could have to wait ten or more days for anything to happen.
“Pretty bummed out,” sdaddy345 wrote, “that Samsung copyright take downed a video that I made 100% … no logo, image or even the word ‘Samsung’ was uttered/shown in the video. It was pretty much the same thing as this video, which is just a GTA 5 player throwing the phone at cars and blowing them up.”
I’ve reached out to both Samsung and sdaddy345 for more information. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if Samsung goes after other videos. Given that people are already pissed at them for this situation and, you know, phones that goddamn explode, I wouldn’t be surprised to see further action blow up in their face as well.
Comments
14 responses to “Samsung Gets GTA V Video Taken Off YouTube, Because It Turned A Note 7 Into A Bomb”
Wouldn’t have really expected it, but this would have been a nice opportunity to examine exactly how backwards Youtube is here. It’s their house that’s not in order, Samsung are of course in the wrong here but goes to show Youtube’s never about sharing and creativity, even if its cheerleaders say it is.
Is that screenshot from the video? Because that screenshot clearly shows the Samsung branding. I disagree with Samsung here, I think it’s bullshit they’re trying to censor a parody video because it happens to feature the fact that a bunch of their defective phones exploded resulting in a global recall, but if their branding did appear in it they probably have a valid copyright claim.
I think the branding on the phone does not actually say Samsung, but just gives the impression that it does by having very similar characteristics.
Yeah admittedly it could say SAMSUNG or it could say LAMSONS or SAMJONG or anything, it looks like the branding but it’s hard to make out. The fact it’s not distinct enough to be indistinguishable might be an argument against it, rather than for it, though.
Going by the videos of the Gizmodo article http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/10/samsung-doesnt-think-that-gta-mod-is-very-funny/
It pretty clearly says SAMSUNG on the phone
Yeah it’s a Samsung. I covered the mod before.
I can see why they DMCA’d it.
But it’s a pretty funny mod, cop it on the chin and move on I say!
Parody falls into fair usage. Plus youtube being American you can also claim first amendment as has been successfully done many times before. Regardless of branding.
This kind of thing might not be covered by parody, and the first amendment only protects speech against censure by the government. It doesn’t give a person the right to say whatever they want.
Might want to Google Parody fair usage, or such like and find reports of the many cases where it successfully worked.
It needs to be assessed on a case by case basis, you can’t just call something parody and it’s automatically protected. I could google cases where it’s worked and cases where it hasn’t, and neither would prove anything about this particular case.
What a bunch of crap, I’ve been a Samsung user for years until Note 4. After exploding phones and going after people like this I hope they burn quicker than a Note 7.
perfect example of abuse of copyright
I wouldn’t agree it’s a perfect example, not sure where this video originated. But fair use in America includes criticism and parody.
Seems more like Samsung are just trying to make a example of this persons video. Which I don’t really understand. Why make more of a scene and waste resources on this, when pretty much everyone in the developed world knows about the note 7’s issues?