Black Girl Gamers’ False Copyright Strike on My Channel Mysteriously Disappears...
In only what I can try to explain as a bizarre twist of events, that false copyright strike filed against my channel by Black Girl Gamers (BGG) has... mysteriously disappeared. After initially receiving an email notification from YouTube that my video was flagged with a copyright claim by BGG and threatened with removal on September 14, 2024, I braced myself for what I expected would be a long legal battle.
I never received any follow-up communication from YouTube or BGG about the status of the strike—no emails, no updates- nothing. Yet, as of this moment, the threat has straight up vanished, and the video is now displayed just like any other content on my channel, free from the shadow of an impending strike.
What happened?
Well... I can only speculate. It seems MOST likely that BGG retracted their strike after I made it clear that I was prepared to pursue legal action. They may have realized their case was non-existent, or maybe... they feared the backlash from the community after being exposed for filing a frivolous claim. Then there's also a distant possibility that YouTube themselves stepped in and canceled the claim directly after realizing that BGG's copyright strike, which claimed ownership over the entire video, was blatantly false and inappropriate... But - I don't know.
I attempted to communicate with @TeamYouTube on Twitter, but the responses were less than helpful and offered little guidance on resolving the issue. It felt like the robotic responses I was getting was as good as talking to a brick wall.
Despite the frustrations, I wasn't alone—So many people from the community relentlessly tagged TeamYouTube, standing up and amplifying my voice in what initially felt like an unwinnable battle. Your support was beyond crucial in pushing back against the false copyright strike, demonstrating the power of collective action in the face of unjust censorship... and for those who joined in - in any way - I genuinely cannot thank you enough.
Whatever the reason, the strike has... been removed, and I’m relieved to move past this incident. However, this only reinforces my perspective on BGG and their tactics. Instead of having an open conversation, I got a strike attempt.
The weirdest part about all of it is I received ZERO communication from anyone about the situation being repaired. You'd think that would be the first thing that would automatically trigger, even if it was just an automated email saying the strike threat has been removed...
But then again, this is YouTube we're talking about and transparency is often... lacking.
It’s a move that aligns with BGG's previous attempts to silence dissenting voices, such as their actions sending the Cease & Desist against ThatParkPlace.
This is who Black Girl Gamers are—quick to wield false claims to stifle any criticism or challenge to their narrative... Then run and hide in an echo chamber, thinking the world is out to get them instead of trying to have an honest and open conversation to move the industry forward.
The video went HYPER viral instantly from the almost the second I hit publish - amassing over a staggering quarter million views in four days. If YouTube had gone through with deleting the video, not only would those views been wiped from existence on my channel, but I'd likely have faced months of suppression by the algorithm—a common consequence I've heard happens for creators hit with strikes.
The fact that this strike's disappeared is a gigantic win - I can't underscore that enough, and the incredible support from so many of you has been beyond overwhelming. I can't thank everyone enough for standing by me and helping to turn the tide in this fight!
Hopefully, others take note of these types of actions and recognize the kind of behavior they may face when dealing with BGG. This latest situation serves as an unfortunate reminder of how some groups will go to extreme lengths to suppress open discussion, but it's also proof that standing firm and pushing back can make a difference. They could have easily replied to the email and apologized and been honest, but instead - I'm just left forever wondering...
WTF even happened in the end? I don't know... But regardless it seems to be gone. Thank YOU! Without the community coming together on this, it'd had been a slog to get through it.
~Smash