YouTube reinstates Romney campaign ad after reviewing copyright claims

YouTube pulled a Mitt Romney campaign ad earlier this week due to copyright complaints, but after an internal review the ad is back online. BMG Rights Management had objected to the clip, which contained footage of President Barack Obama riffing on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” According to Politico, the Romney campaign contacted YouTube Wednesday asserting that the clip constituted fair use under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, and after a review YouTube determined it did not constitute a copyright violation.

“We have a counter notification process in place if a user believes a content owner has misidentified their video, and we reinstate content if a user prevails in that process,” YouTube told Politico in an emailed statement. “We also reinstate videos in cases where we are confident that the material is not infringing, or where there is abuse of our copyright tools.” Several other YouTube videos featuring the same Obama footage had also been taken down in the wake of BMG’s complaints; they have also been restored now as well.