> (Also, what RIAA is trying to remove is the code that allows to get the music video files from YouTube, which is served differently to normal videos. This was conspicuously absent from all discussions I've read.)
It's absent because RIAA's intent is not stated. They did a blanket takedown, unprompted. As far as I can tell they never requested any particular modification. IIRC the only hint that it might be related is a mention that the rolling cipher algorithm that YouTube-dl "circumvents" was ruled to be DRM under German law.
However, the bulk of the DMCA seems to be leveled at the marketing of ytdl as a circumvention tool, citing unit tests containing metadata referencing RIAA-owned content (unit tests, apparently, are now part of 'marketing,' I guess.)
> However, the bulk of the DMCA seems to be leveled at the marketing of ytdl as a circumvention tool, citing unit tests containing metadata referencing RIAA-owned content (unit tests, apparently, are now part of 'marketing,' I guess.)
This is definitely untested in court but I won't be surprised if it is indeed part of marketing. The problem with the tests is that they do download the video, even if it is a small amount and since ytdl does not reject the video for downloading at all it is technically infrigment, probably without a valid fair use defense. If ytdl has actively rejected that (for example if the test units are specifically to prevent downloading those types of videos), they may have a stonger defense against RIAA claims.
Not in their entirety, but it still downloaded a second for each of those videos. Interpret that as you wish, but I will not be surprised if RIAA will use this.
It's absent because RIAA's intent is not stated. They did a blanket takedown, unprompted. As far as I can tell they never requested any particular modification. IIRC the only hint that it might be related is a mention that the rolling cipher algorithm that YouTube-dl "circumvents" was ruled to be DRM under German law.
However, the bulk of the DMCA seems to be leveled at the marketing of ytdl as a circumvention tool, citing unit tests containing metadata referencing RIAA-owned content (unit tests, apparently, are now part of 'marketing,' I guess.)