Police Officer Admit He's Playing a Taylor Swift Song to Keep Activist's Video Off YouTube

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://gizmodo.com/watch-a-police-officer-admit-hes-playing-a-taylor-swift-1847211462?rev=1625154688932

On Tuesday, a group of protesters showed up at the Alameda Courthouse in Oakland, California, for the pre-trial hearing for Jason Fletcher, a police officer who was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Steven Taylor, a Black man, inside of a Walmart last year. Along with Taylor’s family, advocates for justice gathered to listen to the hearing broadcast on the courthouse steps, as covid restrictions prevented them from entering the courtroom. That’s when a sheriff’s deputy showed up with some pop tunes.

In a video taken on the steps, policy director for the Anti-Police Terror Project James Burch can be seen asking a sheriff’s deputy why the group can’t use their banner. Midway through the conversation, the sheriff’s deputy pulled out his phone, turned up Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” on speaker, and slid it into his shirt. “You can record all you want,” he told the person filming, “I just know it just can’t be posted on YouTube.” Sheriff’s deputy David Shelby then turned to show the camera the name on his uniform.

Shelby’s approach is now a known police tactic: weaponizing YouTube’s copyright flagging system against public citizens. Earlier this year, a Beverly Hills officer chose Sublime as the backtrack for his conversation with a man who came to dispute a ticket. (The video remains on Instagram.) The video would predictably trigger YouTube’s automated content ID system, which would pick up on Swift’s copyrighted song and trigger a block on the entire video. It also raises the chances that a record label would explicitly request the video to be removed.

Burch told Gizmodo that the group began filming when a group of four officers repeatedly interrupted their listening to tell them to move “Justice for Steven Taylor” banners they’d hung on the walls. When they moved the banner to the stairs and again gathered to listen to the hearing, the officers then told them that people “could trip,” despite the fact that no one was walking through the area. Burch said the group felt compelled to film because the over-aggressive approach started to feel “concerning.”

*snip*

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Travis Akers
@travisakers
This police officer begins playing @taylorswift13 on his cell phone while on duty in order to have videos of him removed from social media because of DMCA rules that do not allow the sharing of copyrighted music.

Video: @APTPaction


10:29 AM · Jul 1, 2021

[Aristus]

1. Cops are such pigs...

[Nevilledog]

2. Truth.

[Treefrog]

8. Wait. Are we still supporting the Capitol police?

It’s so confusing.

[Aristus]

10. If the Capitol police start doing this shit, then they're pigs, too.

In the meantime, they have my support. Just as any public official who takes his oath to serve the public has my support. Until they abrogate that oath by abusing the public.

[GregariousGroundhog]

3. Youtube allows uploader too appeal copyright strikes

I suspect that upon manual review, Youtube would agree with a Fair Use argument that it is in the public's interest to allow the video given that the police officers are trying to use copyrighted music to avoid scrutiny. It makes it seem like the cops are trying to hide something and it only really delays the video's posting by a day or two.

[Dr. Strange]

13. I don't think YouTube makes Fair Use decisions.

If I'm remembering correctly, it goes something like this: if someone claims Fair Use, then YouTube sends the response to the rightsholder to let them withdraw their request. If the rightsholder doesn't, then YouTube informs the uploading party and either blocks the video or allows the rightsholder to monetize.

[lapfog_1]

4. they should send this to Taylor Swift

and ask her to post it on her FaceBook.

My guess is that she would not like her music being used this way

[Eugene]

5. Others have noted that such use is a public exhibition, which is also subject to licensing.

Of course, I'm not holding my breath waiting for the rights holder, a private equity firm, to step up.

[dmr]

6. Cop should be disciplined for playing with his phone while on duty.

"Listening" to and/or being entertained by music is not in his job description. So turn it off and put it away.

[hunter]

7. Cell phones were gleefully embraced by dirty cops in so many different ways.

In ancient times the police had to use radio bands subject to public scrutiny.

Lots of people are not allowed to use personal cell phones at work.

I don't see why it shouldn't be any different for cops.

[drmeow]

9. I'll bet Taylor Swift

would be willing to post it!

[TheBlackAdder]

12. Taylor doesn't control her original songs anymore, they were sold from under her. She's rerecording.

[KG]

11. cops - constantly clueless as to why why they aren't universally loved & respected.