GTA 5 exploding phone mod smacked with YouTube takedown, as if Samsung had any chance of reversing that messaging [UPDATE]
Ah yes, fostering ill will! That will repair this total disaster of a phone launch.
Update
YouTube has reinstated the GTA 5 mod video Samsung filed a copyright notice on, which showed the recalled Galaxy Note 7 being used in lieu of the game's normal sticky bomb.
According to MCV, after a review, YouTube denied Samsung’s copyright claim, and it is once again available to view, much to the delight of the video’s creator we're sure.
Original story follows.
Original Story
There's a GTA 5 mod which adds exploding Samsung Galaxy 7 Note phones you can use as a weapon. You can admire it in action in the GIF above, via Redditor Haku111.
Do you know why it exists? Because Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones explode. They explode so much that Samsung recalled them, but then the replacements also exploded, so the entire line has been abandoned, manufacture has ceased, and all devices should be returned for a refund immediately - before they explode.
There's not really any PR response to this situation - "sorry we put you in extreme danger of death by house fire" doesn't really cut it, hey - but here's a hot tip: getting out your DMCA team to take down videos of a GTA 5 mod in action is not really helpful. And yet, that's what the company has elected to do, successfully getting the most popular video of the mod removed from YouTube.
As The Verge argues, it's almost certainly a misuse of the DMCA tool since the YouTuber who posted the video didn't break any copyright rules. Unfortunately even with YouTube's appeal system uploaders are often on the receiving end of the more rubbish aspects of the system.
What was the point of this? Is it an attempt to silence discussion of the fact that Samsung Galaxy 7 Note phones explode? If so, Samsung hasn't done a very good job of it, as plenty of other videos of the same mod are still available. No, I'm not going to link them, Samsung minion; you can do your own Google searches instead of harvesting from keyword alerts. Small rebellions.