# Cops Are Using Copyrighted Music to Block Videos



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

A report has emerged of a Police Sergeant playing popular music on their smartphone when they realized they were being filmed, BoingBoing.net writes.

The strange behavior may be part of a concerted effort to have these types of videos flagged and removed by copyright-strike algorithms on YouTube, Instagram, and other social media sites.

The example was shared on Instagram - which has not flagged the video - by _mrcheckpoint__ who filmed a Sergeant of the Beverly Hills P.D blasting Sublime's 'Santeria' out of his smartphone.

Mrcheckpoint_ said the following in his video description:
"I believe Sergeant Fair aka BILLY FAIR is using copyrighted music to keep me from being able to play these videos on social media. Then tells me in the second video he couldn't hear me earlier in the day and also couldn't hear me then, all while playing music." He isn't alone. I have video of this happening with another officer who played music as I was talking. Is this an order from the top? Wait till I show you more. Until then I'll be filing a complaint on this officer Fair and officer Reyes who had done it before to me. It's outrageous."
Though it would be conjecture at this point to say this particular use of playing music is an order from higher up in the Police Department, it isn't unthinkable.

Starting in October last year, copyright and DMCA strikes became a hot topic as popular users on Twitch and other content creator platforms found that their recent and older videos were being removed due to music copyright infringement.

In fact, the incredibly hyped-up triple-A videogame Cyberpunk 2077, released in December 2019, even included a dedicated feature for content creators allowing them to disable copyrighted music that would otherwise have their streams or video uploads removed by copyright algorithms.

In any case, this particular Sargeant's attempts present us with a brilliant example of the Streisand Effect, a social phenomenon whereby someone trying to hide their actions has the complete opposite effect of having them exposed to an even wider audience.

Cops Are Using Copyrighted Music to Block Videos From Being Posted


----------



## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Use Johann Strauss music instead. The composer died 70 years ago on 8 September 1949. That means his works fall out of copyright from the end of 2019.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

Brilliant, a creative workaround that is legal and uses no force. Beat them at their own games.


----------



## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm kind of a fan of Bohemian Rhapsody


----------



## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

Hell, they should play NWA Fuck the Police 

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk


----------



## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

Wait...so it's now a copyright infringement to listen to music?
The only one actually publishing it is the provocateur trying to start something.


----------



## NEPS (Aug 29, 2006)

Sooty said:


> The only one actually publishing it is the provocateur trying to start something.


I think that is the point. The officer is just listening to music. The person recording the officer, with the music in the background, is posting the copyrighted music. As such, the post may be subject to removal for violation of the site's rules against copyright violation. Thus, the interaction with the officer goes off the web.


----------



## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

NEPS said:


> I think that is the point. The officer is just listening to music. The person recording the officer, with the music in the background, is posting the copyrighted music. As such, the post may be subject to removal for violation of the site's rules against copyright violation. Thus, the interaction with the officer goes off the web.


I took it as the "warrior" was complaining the officers were using copyrighted music to drown him out.


----------



## Mr Scribbles (Jul 7, 2012)

Modern problems require modern solutions!


----------

