How xQc Accidentally Risked A Copyright Ban
It's no secret that Twitch can swing the DMCA banhammer down hard. Streamers on the platform know it as well, so they have to follow Twitch's copyright rules or risk losing their channel. Many streamers have received bans due to DMCA complaints, and there's a decent chance that xQc could be at risk after a slip-up. During a recent stream, xQc accidentally showed off clips from the 2022 World Cup, which is a definite no-no.
Prior to the accidental video, xQc debated whether or not to show highlights from the recent England-versus-Iran soccer game. According to him, playing it could cause him to get banned, but he decided to take the risk anyway after seeing it was a video from FOX Soccer. The streamer commented that FOX doesn't typically go after copyright claims on Twitch, so he felt secure watching that specific clip.
While stepping away from his stream to make a call, xQc left the YouTube video running for his viewers. Unfortunately, three minutes after he left, the YouTube video ended. YouTube then did as YouTube does — and automatically played another video. And then another. The next clip in the queue was comprised of soccer clips from way back in 2014, but it was on the official FIFA channel. The next video was made up of more 2022 World Cup footage. Needless to say, the streamer wasn't too excited when he came back to his computer.
xQc's phone call could cost him
When xQc returned, he quickly closed the video while looking slightly panicked. He didn't immediately comment on the situation because he was still on the phone, but he didn't seem quite as concerned as he had seemed earlier. Instead, he worried a bit about the audio quality of the stream because of an incoming Skype call while he was out, and then he went about his stream like normal.
This stream took place on November 21, and he was able to stream for seven hours after the incident with no problem. He also streamed the next day with seemingly no issues, so he may have escaped the DMCA problem. However, it wouldn't be out of the qustion for a suspension to roll out a bit later. He's been banned many times in the past, and one of those was due to a much-belated copyright claim that arrived over a year after he posted the content in question on Twitter.
According to estimates from esports.gg, the phone call that caused xQc to step away from his stream could cost him literally thousands of dollars if he ends up receiving a ban for the offense. At the moment, xQc looks to be in the clear, but he may be more cautious the next time he answers a call during a stream.