YouTube has blocked songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy, Rush and many others due to a legal dispute.
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While attempting to play several songs of these artists in the US, users were shown a message reading: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”
The blocking of the songs comes amid a legal dispute between YouTube and the performing rights organisation SESAC.
“We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US,” Variety quoted a YouTube spokesperson as saying.
“We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
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It is to be noted here that the SESAC collects royalties and helps protect copyrights on behalf of songwriters and publishers in the US.
The organization’s website reads, “SESAC currently licenses the public performance of more than 1.5 million songs on behalf of its 15,000+ affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers, which include such familiar names as Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, RUSH, Adele, Jack Harlow, Ariana Grande, Disclosure, Zac Brown, Rosanne Cash, Hillary Scott of Lady A, Lee Brice, Margo Price, Nicky Jam, Blanco Brown, and many more.”
Users on YouTube were quick to notice the blocking of the songs, and filed complaints to the platform on X.
TeamYouTube account on X responded by writing, “we hear you. our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal conditions despite our best efforts. for this reason, we have blocked content on YouTube in the US known to be associated with SESAC – as in line with copyright law.”
Earlier this year, a similar dispute went on between Universal Music Group and TikTok for several months before being resolved.
