Microsoft releases formal video content policy

Written by David Hing

January 12, 2015 | 12:12

Tags: #minecraft #video-content #youtube

Companies: #microsoft

Microsoft has released a formal policy over the use of its games in Let’s Play videos, streaming and other videos.

When using Microsoft’s content in this way, creators are given a ‘personal, non-exclusive, non-sub-licensable, non-transferable, revocable, limited license’. This extends to any gameplay footage, screenshots and music.

As well as a clause that would allow Microsoft the right to use any content without the creator’s permission, the rules also still give Microsoft plenty of manoeuvring room if it ever came to requesting content to be removed. In exchange for this license, video creators are told that they must not create anything offensive, a clause that is obviously going to be poorly defined.

Creators must also not reverse engineer any of Microsoft’s software and are also not allowed to make any money off the back of the content they publish, except for ad revenue. This includes posting the video to a site that requires a subscription to view, including it in a paid app or even through ads that you place within the video yourself.

This update on video content policy comes days after it was announced that Minecraft, now owned by Microsoft, is currently the second-most searched for topic on Youtube in 2014, coming second as a category only behind music. Despite this, the new policy does not actually affect Minecraft which has its own guidelines relating to video content.

Let’s Play videos and content created by Youtubers featuring games can often boost a developer’s chances of success but the legality of the use of game content is questionable. Back in 2013, Nintendo decided that it still owned this content and attempted to claim ad revenue from anyone using Nintendo games in their videos.
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