I have an playing video app in Apple. but Apple replies are not authorized. The reply is:
5.2.3 - Facilitate illegal file sharing or include the ability to save, convert, or download media from third party sources without explicit authorization from those sources.
The app has passed Apple audits before adding YouTube.
According to the App Store Review Guidelines, streaming of videos may also violate their terms of use, so it isn't allowed. So unfortunately it sounds like you will either need to get YouTube's permission, or just remove YouTube streaming from your app.
Related
I made an application that allows users to select a platform on the home page and watch something on that platform. If I give an example of these platforms, google, youtube, netflix, amazonprime etc. There are around 10-15 platforms and the logos of these platforms are on the main page and users can choose from here. So in short I have a webview application. I wanted to publish it on the app store but my app was rejected. Reason:
5.2.2 Third-Party Sites/Services: If your app uses, accesses, monetizes access to, or displays content from a third-party service, ensure that you are specifically permitted to do so under the service’s terms of use. Authorization must be provided upon request.
5.2.3 Audio/Video Downloading: Apps should not facilitate illegal file sharing or include the ability to save, convert, or download media from third-party sources (e.g. Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, Vimeo, etc.) without explicit authorization from those sources. Streaming of audio/video content may also violate Terms of Use, so be sure to check before your app accesses those services. Documentation must be provided upon request.
I wrote the app's metadata very neatly. My app has been published on Google Play. Am I being rejected because of the platform logos on the homepage of the application? If I remove these logos will the problem be fixed? Or do I really need to get permission from each platform? These platforms are big companies, can I reach them with an e-mail? Will they take me seriously, or what message should I send them to get this permission? I read that Webview is legal, I thought that I don't need to take copyright, after all, there is no situation where I can gain unfair advantage or do something illegal, when the user chooses netflix, I already redirect to netflix, he has to enter his membership and watch. I am not monetizing any site or platform, just browser logic..But I think the App Store is very strict about this and requires me to get permission from all platforms. What should I do, I would be very happy if you share your ideas with me.
My application has been removed from google play and I do not understand the problem or how to solve it. I use the YouTube API to display videos and follow all the guidelines to do so.
First, an email came with the text: "Your app shouldn't access or use the service or API in a manner that violates its terms of service. For example, your app shouldn't download, monetize, or access YouTube videos in a way that violates the YouTube Terms of Service. "
Upon appeal, I received the following response: "For example, your app currently contains copyrighted contents from YouTube without consent from the contents' owners. You can refer to the attached screenshot for additional information."
The screenshot is just one of the videos in my application. But wait, I have added everything according to the YouTube guidelines, and there is also a direct quote from the rules.
License to YouTube
By providing Content to the Service, you grant to YouTube a worldwide,
non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to
use that Content (including to reproduce, distribute, modify, display
and perform it) for the purpose of operating, promoting, improving the
Service.
License to Other Users
You also grant each other user of the Service a worldwide,
non-exclusive, royalty-free license to access your Content through the
Service, and to use that Content (including to reproduce, distribute,
modify, display, and perform it) only as enabled by a feature of the
Service.
Which means that if embedding is enabled by the author of the channel, then I can embed his videos in my application. So what's the problem then?
Has anyone encountered this? I use the official YouTube player, maybe I didn't notice something and now any embedding is prohibited? But the rules say you can!
i'm planning to create some app that use youtube-api.
Is it legal to use Youtube Data API to create youtube-like app that aggregrate youtube videos from any channel? even it is not my channel or my video? Can I (legally) monetize those app with Admob?
Your question is answered in the first paragraph of the YouTube API Terms of Service.
1. Is it legal to use Youtube Data API to create youtube-like app that aggregrate youtube videos from any channel?
The terms don't prohibit it, as long as the client is compliant with the ToS. So, yes, it is legal.
2. Can I (legally) monetize those app with Admob?
It depends.
You agree not to use the YouTube API for any of the following commercial uses unless You obtain YouTube's prior written approval: [...] the sale of advertising, sponsorships, or promotions on any page of the API Client containing YouTube audiovisual content, unless other content not obtained from YouTube appears on the same page and is of sufficient value to be the basis for such sales.
I'm not an expert in law questions, but what this says (imho) is that you may advertise your application if it does not solely contain YouTube content. In other words, your application has to extend the functionality of https://youtube.com, not recreate it.
In any case, you may not block or in any way alter in-player ads.
Conclusion
Based on the short concept of your app you posted in the question, I would say:
You may build "youtube-like app that aggregrate youtube videos from any channel", but
you may not advertise it, since it does not feature original content.
if you plan to publish this on app store please review the IOS Guide Lines
5.2.3 Audio/Video Downloading: Apps should not facilitate illegal file sharing or include the ability to save, convert, or download media
from third-party sources (e.g. Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud,
Vimeo, etc.) without explicit authorization from those sources.
Streaming of audio/video content may also violate Terms of Use, so be
sure to check before your app accesses those services. Documentation
must be provided upon request.
And this SO question
Apple:
- 2.3 LEGAL: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - AUDIO/VIDEO DOWNLOADING
I'm building a video downloader app which basically use UIWebView and user can surf the internet and download videos from almost everywhere. App review team is asking me to provide a documentary evidence of rights to allow media downloading from third-party sources.
How can I get such document?
According to US law, for copyright protection no advance copyright notice is required. Hence, to obtain Documentary evidence, you would need to obtain written evidence from the owner of the material.
This is neither feasible nor possible as there are hundreds of thousands of video content owners. Also, not many of them will be eager to give you permission to use their content for free.
The very premise of your application seems to encourage piracy and is very unlikely to get approved to Apple.
So your best chance to somehow get your efforts to utility would be reducing the scope of your App to certain websites, permission of whose content you can manage to acquire. Giants like YouTube will not entertain your request, but I am sure that if you try you could get the permission out of a bunch of video hosting websites. Then you can present the Documentary evidence of permission from these websites to the reviewer. You would also need to restrict your App to work only on these websites.
Another option would be using this concept in Android!! As you are grabbing your videos from a webview, most of your code should remain the same, and there would be no review hurdles in Play store.
I am a bit confused about the YouTube API's term & conditions. If I create an app for users to download only their own videos. Is that against the terms and conditions?
I know downloading other people content is definitely prohibited, but is it the same for your own videos? Since user can go to their video manager and download their own videosm this would be only a short-cut?
Anyone knows can/cannot do this? I was thinking of using this library http://ytdownloadextension.codeplex.com/
Any guidance would be appreciated,
Covo
Seems like YouTube already allows you to do that, so I'd say it's legal:
Download your videos
You can’t download other people’s YouTube videos, but ...
You can download MP4 files of videos that you’ve uploaded to YouTube in either 720p or 360p, depending on the video size.
See Download videos that you've uploaded.
I don't think so the Terms of Service of Youtube or the Terms of Service of the API allows you to do so:
Excerpt of Youtube ToS (5. K):
you agree not to access Content or any reason other than your personal, non-commercial use solely as intended through and permitted by the normal functionality of the Service, and solely for Streaming. "Streaming" means a contemporaneous digital transmission of the material by YouTube via the Internet to a user operated Internet enabled device in such a manner that the data is intended for real-time viewing and not intended to be downloaded (either permanently or temporarily), copied, stored, or redistributed by the user.
Excerpt of the API ToS (II. 11):
store copies of YouTube audiovisual content;
Both, state in a very clear way that neither the user nor applications built using the API can "store" content, which is a very direct statement that disallows you from giving such an option in your app. Now, whether Youtube does give its users an interface to download their content or not is an argument out of sequence here as Youtube don't need to follow their own ToS, in other words, it's up to them to give their users such an option, but you can't give it to the users of your app.
I suppose you need a special permission from Youtube to give such an option in your app.
Yes. You can definitely download your own videos from YouTube as it is your own content so you have full rights to it as the creator of the videos.