Sharing videos on social media is a common practice, but there are copyright rules you need to consider before posting someone else’s YouTube video on your Facebook page. The short answer is you need permission from the video creator before sharing their content.
Is it legal to share a YouTube video on Facebook without permission?
No, it is generally not legal to share a YouTube video on your Facebook page without permission from the creator. The videos on YouTube are protected by copyright law, which means the creator of the content has certain exclusive rights, including the rights to reproduce, distribute, and publicly display their work.
Posting someone else’s YouTube video to your Facebook page without permission would violate the creator’s copyrights. Even if you’re not making money directly from sharing the video, it is still an unauthorized public distribution and display of their copyrighted content.
What are the penalties for copyright infringement?
There can be serious legal penalties for copyright infringement:
- The copyright holder can send you a cease and desist letter demanding you remove the infringing content.
- They may be able to sue you for significant monetary damages, including any profits you earned from using their content.
- Your Facebook or YouTube account could be suspended or terminated for repeat violations.
- In some cases, you may even face criminal charges for willful copyright infringement.
The bottom line is it’s not worth the risk of legal consequences. Always get permission before posting someone else’s videos.
How can I legally share a YouTube video on Facebook?
Here are some ways you can legally share a YouTube video on your Facebook page:
- Get permission from the video creator. Many YouTubers have procedures in place for giving permission to share their videos. You may need to contact them directly. Some video descriptions include licensing information that allows sharing under certain conditions.
- Share the original YouTube link instead of uploading the video file. This still drives views and traffic back to the original source.
- Only share short clips that fall under fair use provisions. Fair use allows brief excerpts for commentary, criticism, etc.
- Download videos you have created and reupload to Facebook. You can share videos you filmed and edited yourself.
- Use Facebook’s Rights Manager tool to identify videos you have rights to share.
Do I need permission to embed a YouTube video?
In most cases, yes you still need direct permission from the copyright holder to embed a YouTube video on your website or social media profile. Embedding simply refers to displaying the video on your site by linking back to the YouTube video file. This is still showing the full video content publicly, so permission is still required in most cases.
When is it acceptable under fair use to share a YouTube video?
You may be able to rely on fair use doctrine to share limited portions of a YouTube video without permission under certain conditions, such as:
- Using very brief clips for commentary, parody, or criticism
- Using clips for educational/noncommercial purposes
- Altering the clips creatively as part of a transformative new work
However, showing lengthy portions of a video or reposting a video in full, even without monetization, would still require permission in most cases.
What are the rules for sharing YouTube videos on social media?
Here are some key rules to follow when sharing YouTube videos on Facebook or other social platforms:
- Don’t reupload videos – share the original YouTube links when available.
- Give proper credit to the video creator by naming them in your posts/descriptions.
- Follow all social media platform rules and community guidelines.
- Remove content if requested by the copyright holder.
- Get written permission to share lengthy or full videos.
How can I download a YouTube video to repost?
You generally should not download and repost someone else’s full YouTube videos without permission. However, here are a few cases where you may be able to download and reupload YouTube videos:
- Videos you created and uploaded – You can download your own videos to share.
- Videos you have explicit permission to use – Get written confirmation from the copyright holder.
- For fair use purposes like commentary – Small portions where permissible under fair use.
There are online YouTube download tools and browser extensions that allow you to save videos. However these should only be used with caution and consideration of copyright.
What if I credit the creator when I share the video?
Giving credit or attribution to the original video creator does not necessarily exempt you from copyright rules. You still need direct permission from the copyright holder before reposting their YouTube videos in full, even if you credit them.
There are some situations where attribution may help a fair use claim, but for the most part it does not substitute for getting explicit permission.
Can I share monetized YouTube videos?
If a YouTube video has ads enabled by the creator, you cannot legally repost or embed it on your Facebook page without permission. This would allow you to earn money from someone else’s content.
YouTube’s partner program gives creators a share of ad revenue from their videos. Reposting monetized videos robs the creator of earnings and infringes their copyright.
What are the rules for different social media sites?
The exact rules and enforcement procedures may differ on various social media platforms, but the baseline copyright principles remain largely the same:
- Facebook – You need permission to share full videos. Linking is allowed. Clips under 20 seconds may fall under fair use.
- Twitter – You can share links to YouTube videos but not upload full videos. Quote tweets with clips are OK under fair use.
- Instagram – Requires permission for sharing clips longer than a few seconds. You can use ultra-short snippets under fair use.
- TikTok – Requires approval to upload lengthy clips. Very short clips cited for commentary are typically allowed.
What are some safe alternatives to sharing full YouTube videos?
If you want to share interesting YouTube videos without infringing copyright, here are some safe alternatives:
- Share the main YouTube video link in your post or profile.
- Use screenshots or animated GIFs showing very brief clips.
- Provide a time-stamped link to share a specific part.
- Upload commentary videos discussing and analyzing clips under fair use.
- Create custom short compilations of public domain/creative commons videos.
Can I dispute a copyright claim if my video share gets flagged?
If your social media account gets a copyright notice for posting a YouTube video without permission, you can dispute the claim if you believe it qualifies as fair use. However, fair use has limited exceptions, so you need strong justification.
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), you can file a counter-notice arguing your video excerpt falls under fair use protections. If the copyright holder disagrees, they can potentially escalate it to a lawsuit.
If your full repost gets flagged, it will be difficult to dispute the takedown since you shared the complete copyrighted work without permission. The best approach is to proactively avoid copyright risks by only sharing clips that align with fair use.
Conclusion
YouTube videos are protected by copyright laws, so you generally need permission from the creator before reposting their videos on your Facebook page. Linking and embedding also typically requires approval. There are some exceptions for very short clips under fair use provisions, but it’s best to err on the side of caution and only share videos you have rights to post.
Violating someone’s copyright by posting their full YouTube videos can lead to legal consequences. Always respect content creators by seeking permission or sticking to more ethical practices like sharing links, screenshots, and fair use commentary.