Inquiry
If I take children’s storybooks or other books that are already commercially available, read them aloud, and upload the content to YouTube, would this constitute copyright infringement?
If this would constitute copyright infringement on YouTube, how could I create similar content without infringing copyright?
Also, if I collect already-released songs into categories and play them together on YouTube under a title such as “Song Collection,” would this constitute copyright infringement?
Response
Children’s storybooks and other books are literary works. In general, reproducing or distributing them in their textual form may infringe the copyright holder’s economic rights. However, even if such literary works are converted into audio recordings and uploaded to YouTube, this may constitute infringement of the reproduction right and the right of communication to the public (transmission right).
It would not be possible to provide similar content using copyrighted books while avoiding copyright infringement.
Songs that have already been released and uploaded to YouTube are likewise protected by copyright. Therefore, collecting and playing such songs by category would also constitute copyright infringement.