To address the website’s DMCA problem, popular streaming platform Twitch has updated its ban system.
One of the biggest changes to the revised rules is the repeat offender system. This ensures that strikes against an account are no longer permanent, but only last for a while to ensure that the account owner is more careful in the future. In this way, the system is somewhat reminiscent of YouTube, which takes a similar approach to controlling their creators.
Only after a third strike has been issued will a streamer be considered a repeat infringer, risking termination of their account by Twitch. “We will terminate an account owner’s access to the Twitch service if that user is determined by Twitch to be a ‘repeat infringer’ of copyrighted works on the service – under our policy, a user is considered a repeat infringer if they accumulate three copyright strikes. “
Twitch has ENTIRELY re-written their DMCA Guidelines Page.
Two BIG notes:
1. 3 stikes officially constitute a 'repeat infringer'2. Strikes are not permanent (!!!) but kept on the account until they determine you're not a repeat infringer.https://t.co/5kaEAdTKhj#TwitchNews pic.twitter.com/0s8ftSUN3o
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) July 20, 2021
In any case, this ban system provides a bit more transparency for streamers and users and should help creators avoid bans or even full bans. This is something that many streamers had repeatedly asked Twitch to do in recent months. However, the basic DMCA guidelines remain unchanged, which means that channels and their owners must continue to comply with them.
