Using You Tube video on your site

**Suzi** · July 21st, 2009

Hi. I am fairly new to internet marketing and would appreciate some advice on the following topic....

What are the rules about using other people's you tube videos on your site? Is there an understanding that such videos are in the public domain, and therefore it is ok to add them to your site, or are you legally or ethically obliged to seek permission to use them?

Thanks guys - look forward to your comments...

Suzi

**TraciKnoppe** · July 21st, 2009

If they have an embed code made available at YouTube, then you are free to use it on your site - that's why the embed code is there.

**Coronado Cookie** · July 21st, 2009

Hi Suzi,

And depending on why you are using them, I would recommend rating them, leaving a comment and e-mailing the person who posted it to tell them that you have posted it on your website.

**Dawnaurora** · July 21st, 2009

Yeah! I was wondering the same thing, but I figured you must be able to because after your own video runs you can view others on the same topic.
I haven't figured out how to not have other videos run after they run mine.

**wade_watson** · July 21st, 2009

I'm not a legal expert, but as I understand it, embedding a YouTube (or other) video on your site doesn't as much constitute "using" the item as much as it is "linking to" it. The link simply opens a little window to YouTube's website (something they encourage). You should have no problem with embedding videos by placing an embed code on your site. Since the feed comes from and is controlled by YouTube, you don't take it from anyone. This is not the same as taking an actual video file done by someone else and hosting from your site. In that case, you should get permission.

--Wade Watson

**retta719** · July 21st, 2009

Originally Posted by Dawnaurora

Yeah! I was wondering the same thing, but I figured you must be able to because after your own video runs you can view others on the same topic.
I haven't figured out how to not have other videos run after they run mine.

This is in the "customize" area where you would change the border color etc.... there's a checkbox that you need to UNcheck to take those off. It's checked by default to include related videos, which is totally annoying.

**Bina Omar** · July 21st, 2009

Suzi,

You don't need permission to embed videos from video sharing sites like YouTube. From what I understand of the terms, you can embed the videos to your site as long as it is not for commercial use. Here's YouTubes terms http://www.youtube.com/t/terms

**Suzi** · July 22nd, 2009

Thanks everyone for your comments. But Bina, what if it is for commercial use? What if it is an affiliate site, for example, for a piece of exercise equipment - can you embed (link??) to video on you tube that others have provided showing how the equipment is used?
Suzi

**wade_watson** · July 22nd, 2009

I was just looking over YouTube's Terms of Use and I would not say it expressly forbids the type of use you are considering. The wording is such as to be open for some interpretation, which I'm sure is intentional. It would appear they're main concern is direct selling of the video content, such as on a subscription site, though it also mentions sites with "the primary purpose of gaining advertising or subscription revenue".

Most sites with affiliate links such as yours offer some degree of directly useful content, therefore it could be hard to prove it exists for the primary purpose of gaining revenue. I can say for certain that is is common practice to feature YouTube embeds in this way, so you have little to worry about if you do. I think that at the very worst, you could be asked to remove the link, but the chance of that even happening must be close to zero.