Court Rules Woman Who Had Video Pulled From YouTube May Hold UMG Liable

Holden Lenz

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on MONDAY (9/14) that STEPHANIE LENZ may hold UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORP. liable for ordering YOUTUBE to take down a video of her toddler dancing to a song by PRINCE.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports, "LENZ was in her kitchen in rural PENNSYLVANIA, filming her two young children having fun after dinner. As PRINCE’s song 'Let’s Go Crazy' played, her toddler -- clad in red pajamas -- bounced up and down to the rhythm. LENZ uploaded the video for friends and family to see on YOUTUBE. Eight years later, that 29-second snippet has had 1.3 million views and become the vehicle for a landmark ruling that could protect others who put their homemade videos on the Internet."

“If a copyright holder ignores or neglects our unequivocal holding that it must consider fair use before sending a take-down notification, it is liable for damages,” Judge RICHARD C. TALLMAN wrote.

HOLDEN LENZ was just 18 months old at the time the video was shot. He's now nine years old.

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