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The original was posted on /r/piracy by /u/LighteningOneIN on 2026-02-05 14:06:30+00:00.

A U.S. court just threw a warning shot at YouTube reaction channels.

In a creator-vs-creator lawsuit, a judge ruled that claims under the DMCA’s anti-circumvention rules can move forward when someone allegedly uses YouTube “ripping” tools even if the final video might qualify as fair use.

The key point: YouTube’s “rolling cipher” is considered a real technical protection measure. Bypassing it to download clips can be a separate DMCA violation, regardless of whether the content is publicly viewable or later used for commentary or criticism.

That’s a big deal for reaction and commentary channels, many of which rely on third-party downloaders. The court basically said “fair use doesn’t automatically excuse how you got the footage.”

The case now heads to discovery to see whether ripping tools were actually used, but the precedent is clear: creators could face DMCA liability just for bypassing YouTube’s protections even if there’s no traditional copyright harm.