YouTube Exits Copyright Lawsuit Over YouTubers’ Videos–Barnes v. Sanchez

This is a copyright infringement lawsuit among pro se litigants. The dispute sideswipes YouTube, but YouTube is able to exit on a motion to dismiss. The plaintiff claims a copyright in a book, Drug Lords of Oakland. The defendants operate a YouTube channel, Evil Streets TV. The plaintiff says that the defendants posted 15 videos, each of which narrated a chapter from his book, plus some videos included copyrighted photos from the book. The court implies the dispute roughly followed a DMCA notice-and-takedown protocol: I believe the plaintiff submitted a 512(c)(3) notice, the uploaders counternoticed per 512(g), the plaintiff unmasked the uploaders through a 512(h) unmasking subpoena, and the plaintiff named the uploaders in the lawsuit. The court allows the plaintiff’s direct copyright infringement claim against the YouTubers to proceed. In contrast, YouTube wins the motion to dismiss: Direct Infrngement. “Mr. Barnes fails to allege any facts showing YouTube’s control of or active…