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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Official notice to El Reno tornado video reposters and documentary producers on Youtube and social media

By DAN ROBINSON

Editor/Photographer

I've made numerous blog posts, social media posts and even a Youtube video about this problem, but the message just isn't being received.

Tornado and disaster documentaries are a very popular video format on Youtube, and a large number of these are being made. Unfortunately, most of them are taking tornado footage (shot by chasers, TV news outlets and the general public) without permission or a license. Most are doing this under the mistaken belief that using footage in a documentary is "fair use".

I actively pursue takedowns and initiate legal cases against reposts of my video on social media and Youtube, as well as documentaries using my footage without permission.

Consider this a formal notice to all reposters and documentary producers: you WILL receive a takedown/strike if you repost my video or use it in a documentary without permission. In some cases, an expensive-for-you legal copyright infringement action may be initiated (lawyers and lawsuits are not cheap, as I'm sure you are aware). I have had to do this (successfully) many times. I take no pleasure in having to take any of these actions, but it is a critical battle that determines my ability to keep operating. Make it easier on everyone involved: please don't repost or use my video without permission.

Contrary to the many myths about copyright and fair use often repeated on the internet, Federal law (read 17 U.S. Code § 107) specifies that four factors are used to evaluate all uses of copyrighted material. That means that unlicensed uses with commentary, editing, news reporting, educational purposes (including documentaries), etc must still pass those four factors to be judged as fair use. Reposting the entirety of, or the best parts of, a video to Tiktok, Facebook or in a documentary does not pass the four factors test, even if things like commentary and editing are done.

Those other copies of my video, or a documentary using large amounts of my video, divert traffic from my original copy. They replace my video in platforms' featured and recommended video slots. They bring no benefit to me or my storm chasing operation, in fact they do great harm.

Giving credit on a repost or in a documentary does not benefit a chaser: It is an unfortunate yet widespread myth that "giving credit" on a repost brings any tangible benefit to a chaser (or any photographer or content creator). Think of the last time you did anything that could benefit a chaser as a result of a credit, even if it was something as simple as visiting that chaser's official channels or social media accounts. The vast majority of online users are just like you. Most people simply watch and engage with what is in their feed, then just keep scrolling. Few visit the chaser's original or follow their official channel or social media pages as a result of a credit or even a direct link included as part of a credit.

There is also nothing in copyright law (17 U.S. Code § 107) that makes "giving credit" a defense, exception or mitigating factor in cases of infringement.

I have done my best to try and get this information out to the masses. I have posted this same information in numerous places, but the reposters and documentaries using my footage without permission continue to be a significant problem. I would rather spend my time chasing and photographing storms, not fighting copyright battles to save my income!

For more information on this issue, please read my in-depth page explaining the devastating impact copyright infringement is having on my operations.

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