In late September, Dominik “Domtendo” Neumayer faced a serious dilemma when he received a concerning email. He had just showcased The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom in a series of entertaining videos on his YouTube channel, but now those videos had disappeared.
According to YouTube, “Some of your videos have been removed.” The notification indicated that Domtendo had accumulated a pair of copyright strikes, placing him perilously close to losing his 17-year-old channel, along with its impressive 1.5 million subscribers.
Fortunately, Domtendo noticed something unusual about the takedown notice—something that YouTube had overlooked.
From the outset, Domtendo was puzzled; the copyright strikes appeared unjustified. Like many content creators, he specializes in “Let’s Play” videos, a popular format in which streamers showcase entire games while interacting with their audience.
Nintendo has a notorious history with its fans regarding copyright claims, often shutting down various unauthorized projects with cease-and-desist orders. The company has targeted YouTubers as well. However, both the iconic gaming company and the larger community…
