Samsung has filed a copyright claim against a video by Modded Games on YouTube showcasing a Grand Theft Auto V mod that replaced Sticky Bombs with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone as reported by The Verge.
The "Samsung Galaxy Note 7 [Bomb]" mod was created by HitmanNeko, a modder with an affinity for making alternate car models for Grand Theft Auto V. This particular mod simply replaces the Sticky Bomb model with that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 initially faced a recall of 2.5 million units which later became a tricky logistical issue. Samsung eventually halted all production of the Note 7 after replacement phones began having issues with batteries catching fire.
The video in question was originally uploaded by the channel Modded Games as discovered through the YouTube Dataviewer tool. The video has been replaced with the following message:
"GTA 5 MOD - Samsung ..." This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its affiliates.Update #2: The original video has been restored by YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GhODn4FRoE
The Grand Theft Auto V modding community is covered by many YouTube channels, and there are still plenty of videos showcasing the mod live on YouTube at the moment. The reasoning behind why this particular video was selected for takedown compared to all of the others is unclear at this time. The reasoning behind the takedown itself is not yet known, and it's also unclear whether or not it was actually Samsung that took the video down or if it was a bot or a copyright troll.
We've reached out to Samsung, the Modded Games YouTube channel, and the modder HitmanNeko for comment.
Update: We've heard back from the Modded Games YouTube channel. The operator of the channel provided us the following statement:
I did a counter claim and still no response from YouTube. I emailed the Samsung affiliate who copyrighted my video numerous times but still no response. My video was the one with most views, 1+Million views and Samsung took it down wrongfully by abusing the copyright system since it is a parody. A counter claim can take 10+ days. I'm going to sue them since they are losing me 10 days in the middle of what was a viral upsurge in traffic. Samsung is costing me ad revenue and hindering the growth of my channel, that can't be replaced.Furthermore, Modded Games provided an Imgur album showing behind-the-scenes stats as well as screenshots of coverage on other sites. We've reproduced the album in a gallery:
[gallery type="slideshow" ids="109160,109161,109168,109162,109163,109164,109165,109166,109167,109159,109314"]
Lastly, Modded Games has uploaded another video featuring the mod which you can check out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enK5XGETCZM
Update #2: I've heard back from the modder who had no comment other than they "just made the mod for fun". A screenshot of the restoration e-mail is here and has been added to the end of the album for Update #1.
Quick Take
I'm not a lawyer, but I have the feeling that Samsung might not be correct in their judgment here - assuming it was actually Samsung that sent the claim in the first place. If it was indeed sent by them, I think that they ought to consider taking a refresher course on the Streisand Effect.What do you think of Samsung taking down a YouTube video of a tongue-in-cheek Grand Theft Auto V mod that makes light of their issues with the Note 7? If it was indeed taken down by Samsung, do you feel that they are justified in their actions of taking down a video of HitmanNeko's Sticky Bomb Mod? Let us know in the comments below!
