Woman Sues Universal Music Group after Company Forces Her to Take Down YouTube Video
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When Stephanie Lenz posted a 30-second video of her young son on YouTube, she never imagined that she could be punished. Because the video featured her son walking across a kitchen, and stopping to dance to a 20 second clip of “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince, which was recorded and playing in the background. Lenz wanted to share the clip with friends and family members who lived far away.
Universal Music Group soon contacted Lenz and YouTube and requested that the movie be taken down. Lenz countered by speaking with her attorney, who informed her that the 20 second clip was within the “fair use” clause of copyright law. She asked YouTube to re-post the video. When she did not hear a response for months, she decided to take more dramatic legal action.
Lenz took Universal Music Group to court and sued them for misrepresentation in the takedown notice. Even when YouTube agreed to repost the video, she continued with the lawsuit, saying that Universal Music Group should have acted in good faith and checked the “fair use” provision. For more information about copyright laws in the U.S., contact your lawyer today!