copyright internet creative-commons
Is it legal to download and modify videos from YouTube licensed under creative Commons?
<p>I want to download and modify YouTube videos (licensed under creative Commons) programmatically and further use it for commercial purpose on other sites. Is it legal to do so ? 
Please provide relevant reference also.</p>

<p>Refer following link for related FAQ: 
<a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797468?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=2778546" rel="nofollow">https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797468?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=2778546</a></p>

<p>I am  concerned with following lines mentioned in above link. "These videos are then accessible to YouTube users for use, even commercially, in their own videos via the YouTube Video Editor."</p>

<p><strong>I am not a lawyer; I am especially not your lawyer; this is not legal advice; if you want legal advice, hire a lawyer.</strong></p>

<h1>Idk.</h1>

<p>But probably not.
<br>
<hr>
The YouTube terms of service seem to prohibit this pretty clearly:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You agree not to distribute in any medium any part of the Service or the Content without YouTube's prior written authorization, unless YouTube makes available the means for such distribution through functionality offered by the Service (such as the Embeddable Player)...<br>
  You agree not to access Content through any technology or means other than the video playback pages of the Service itself, the Embeddable Player, or other explicitly authorized means YouTube may designate.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now, were YouTube itself licensing the videos in question under the CC license, they might be prohibited from enforcing that term:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You may not offer or impose any additional or different terms or conditions on, or apply any Effective Technological Measures to, the Licensed Material if doing so restricts exercise of the Licensed Rights by any recipient of the Licensed Material.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>though I'm not sure if the language in question would apply. However, it seems likely that in most cases, YouTube is using the material in question under the license to which users agreed when they created their accounts, and therefore is not bound by the term in question.
<br><br><br>
All that said, it's entirely possible that the clause in the YouTube ToS prohibiting downloading does not apply for whatever reason (unconscionable in a contract of adhesion, browsewrap agreement doesn't form a contract to begin with, it's superseded by either some other agreement (part of the API EULA, etc), it's contrary to some law in your jurisdiction, etc). </p>

<p>Just to be very clear, though, there is no COPYRIGHT CONCERN preventing uses like the one you mentioned.</p>

<p>Yes. It's legal to download it.</p>

<p>Assuming the content is licensed under Creative Commons, then you're fine. The author has specifically given you the permission to do so under the license. However, what you may do may vary depending on the type of license - you may not be able to sell it, or make derivative works, or your derivative works may be subject to various clauses. Which license in particular is it?</p>

<p>Yes, it's legal, but only because the Creative Commons license allowed in Youtube is <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode" rel="nofollow">CC-BY</a> according to <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797468?hl=en" rel="nofollow">Youtube help page</a>. With this license you can do nearly anything you want with the video while properly attributing it to its author. Other Creative Commons licenses (that could be stated in video description) carry more restrictions.</p>

<p>Anyway, keep in mind that the video could include third part's content which could be used in it lawfully or not (the video could be a copyright infringement itself of could include some fair use material), and it's your responsibility to make sure that your use of this material is lawful.</p>

<p>And as Zizouz212 pointed, beware that most Youtube videos are not under any CC license, and you can't do anything with them except for viewing them.</p>
