YouTube will pay legal fees for some people hit with questionable takedown requests

YouTube has been the battleground for some major copyright law cases, and it looks like the company may be taking a more proactive approach to them. Today, the company told The New York Times it would cover future legal costs for creators it believes have been unfairly hit with takedowns despite meeting the bar for fair use.

The number of creators YouTube plans on backing is small — just four, including one channel dedicated to debunking UFO videos and another from a pro-choice group — but it’s a significantly hands-on move for the site, which told the Times that protecting the videos “will make a positive impact on the entire YouTube ecosystem.” The creators YouTube is backing haven’t faced any legal action just yet; the company reinstated the videos it believes were unfairly targeted for copyright infringement, and pledged to financially help the creators if they’re sued in the future.

YouTube told the Times that it was a move to bring more attention to fair use cases, and although it’s starting small with the number of creators, may expand the program later on.