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Virtual YouTuber Agency Hololive Apologizes For Uploading Videos Without Copyright Permission (Updated)

Cover Corp, the company which runs the Virtual YouTuber agency Hololive, issued an apology on its website on Thursday for uploading contents without copyright permission. According to the statement, the company has received notices that it has violated copyright on videos across its various YouTube channels, and a number of them have been removed.

In order to proceed with proper streaming activities, a number of videos across all Hololive channels have been either set to private or removed, and only the videos which have received clearance from copyright owners will be restored to the public domain.

"This matter occurred due to our mismanagement and negligence," the statement reads. "For causing these repeated inconveniences and concerns, we extend our deepest apologies to those who work with us, and to the fans."

The company has also promised to take further precautions on the management side to ensure that no similar incident occurs again.

Many Virtual YouTubers, including those that belong to Hololive, upload video game livestreams. In June, the company issued a formal apology to Nintendo for failing to follow its streaming guidelines. Fans are maintaining a chart tracking the number of public videos that are currently set to private or deleted since the issue started.

Cover Corp was founded in 2016, and the first generation of hololive performers debuted in 2018. Close to 50 Virtual YouTubers currently belong to Hololive; according to the agency's website, the combined subscriber account across the various channels is around 4.4 million on YouTube and 4 million on bilibili.

Update (8/1): Cover Corp announced that it has signed a contract with Nintendo and has obtained permission to stream Nintendo games. This applies to past streams as well.

Source: Cover Corp