VVVVVV’s Creator Denied Copyright Dispute Over His Own Game’s Video
Controversial Copyright Claim Plagues VVVVVV Videos
On Dec. 17, Terry Cavanagh, the London-based developer of the soulcrushingly difficult "VVVVVV", received a copyright notice from YouTube over his own game’s trailer. The claim was filed by the YouTube channel IndMusic, a powerhouse with over 3 million subscribers and nearly 40,000 videos. The infringement claim was over the video’s soundtrack, a single song by music producer Magnus Pålsson (better known as SoulEye) titled "Positive Force." Cavanagh himself owned the rights to his game’s music in addition to the game itself and filed a dispute with YouTube.
YouTube resolved the claim, but the response was negative. On Jan. 23, Cavanagh tweeted:
I disputed it and waited for them to resolve it - and they've now rejected it and reinstated the claim.
Cavanagh's tweet included attached image showing the notice. His page showed that the video was still available and playable, but that his own music was still claimed by a third party.
Cavanagh later said he believed Pålsson had also been in touch with YouTube in his support.
The 2-minute video, “VVVVVV Gameplay,” had been on YouTube for over four years had received over 500,000 views at the time of the claim. The game trailer was not monetized.
The entire “VVVVVV” soundtrack, “PPPPPP,” is available for sale on Pålsson’s Bandcamp page and can be streamed for free.
