YouTube is releasing a tool for creators to check if their videos are stolen. Now, every time a video is uploaded to YouTube, the service will scan and check if the content exists or is very similar to other videos on the site. It will only detect full videos, not clips.
The tool, which YouTube calls the Copyright Match tool, will launch for creators with more than 100,000 subscribers starting next week. It will be available to more users over the next few months. Creators who use the tool will be notified if YouTube displays copies of their videos. If the tool finds a match, creators can take the following actions: do nothing, contact the owner of the channel that posted the video, or ask YouTube to remove the copy.
To be considered the original creator of a video, you must post the video before anyone else. There is a risk that someone else will copy your video from other platforms (Vimeo or Facebook, for example) and upload it to YouTube before you.
YouTube already has a similar program called Content ID, which helps copyright owners find people using their content without permission. Content ID is more limited in its availability, and unlike the new tool, it also allows content owners to monetize unauthorized use of their work.