Dota 2 content creator and highlights editor NoobFromUA recently had some of his YouTube videos taken down as a result of a copyright claim from event organizer PGL. His channel is one of the largest in YouTube for Dota 2, with more than 750,000 subscribers to his name and more than 600 million views recorded.
The copyright strike on his channel came yesterday, a few hours after the Vici Gaming and Team Secret match at the Dota 2 Asia Championships. All three of his DAC highlight videos have since been removed from his channel.
The claims were supposedly made on the basis that NoobFromUA was illegally using PGL’s audio, which includes sound from the casters at DAC, in his highlight videos. PGL has full ownership and rights to the footage, and the audio attached to it. Per Valve’s policies on tournament footage, only videos taken through DotaTV without any visible sponsor logos are allowed—if the content creator does not have broadcast rights from that particular event.
In addition, PGL demanded that he take down all of his videos of the Bucharest Major, which also involved the use of their audio—according to a screenshot of a conversation between both parties.
NoobFromUA then attempted to bargain with PGL, saying that he was open to a compromise wherein he would place PGL’s sponsors on his videos. PGL did not respond afterwards.
This is not the first time that NoobFromUA has been in hot water for content theft, as his use of copyrighted footage and monetization thereof has been called out in the past by other event organizers, fellow content creators, professional players, and streamers.
Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg did just that around two years ago, accusing NoobFromUA of directly ripping video and audio from his stream. NoobFromUA apologized and took down all videos of zai’s stream afterwards.
Digital Chaos founder and DotaCinema lead content creator Shannon “SUNSfan” Scotten likewise lambasted NoobFromUA some months before zai did, exposing him for taking Valve-owned footage and monetizing it on his channel. The video in question is no longer available for viewing.
