Tag: legal

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TIPS & TRICKS

Do YouTubers Need a Business License?

Do YouTubers Need a Business License?

Many YouTubers find themselves caught off-guard by the realities of their success. It is one thing to get millions of views on a viral video and achieve a brief moment of Internet fame, but it is quite another to start making good money as a result of that success.

As much as people in certain parts of the political spectrum may be unhappy about it, we each live in a society that requires certain things of us, namely contributions to that society in the form of taxes. In an ideal world, we would all voluntarily contribute, but the reality of human nature means that governments have to take steps to make sure we all do our part, and business licenses are part of that system.

What is a Business License?

Before we get into this, we should point out that business licences are primarily a United States thing, with India also using them. We will do our best to explain the purpose of a business licence, and for those of you living in countries or regions that don’t use them, you should be able to identify the equivalent systems where you are.

Business licences are required for any… well… business. The precise nature of these licences will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as well as depending on what the business actually does.

Businesses are required to pay business taxes, and licences—which are essentially permits—are part of establishing what taxes that business should pay.

Do YouTubers Need a Business License?

There are three answers to this question; yes, no, and yes with an asterisk. Let’s start with the easiest one of these to answer.

If your YouTube channel does not make any money, you are not required to have a business licence for it. There may be some uncommon situations where this is not the case, however.

For example, if your YouTube channel involves owning or renting premises, or any kind of disruption to the local area, you will almost certainly need a business licence regardless of whether you make any money.

The chances of any of that being the case for a YouTube channel that is not already established and profitable, however, are very slim. For most people if, their channel is not making money, they won’t need a licence.

Now, onto the definite yes.

If your channel is making a lot of money, you almost certainly will need a business licence if you are in a part of the world where business licences apply.

But what about that yes with an asterisk?

Now, let’s be absolutely clear; this is not a business advice blog.

You should absolutely check the laws in your locality before making any decisions about things like business licences. That being said, it is worth noting that there has to be a reason for a government agency to come after you. If you make enough without paying taxes, they will notice. If you cause disruptions for your neighbours, and they report you to the authorities, you may bring attention to your YouTube shenanigans. In most laws, if you have a venture that makes any money at all, you should be getting a business licence for it, but the reality is that it is unlikely you will get in trouble if you are only making pennies.

But just to reiterate, the law typically doesn’t deal in likelihoods. If you get caught making pennies that the authorities don’t know about, you will still get in trouble.

Other Systems

There are, of course, many different systems in place across the world—the United States alone has different rules from state to state—so naturally, we can’t cover them all. One particularly relevant example for an English-speaking YouTube audience is the United Kingdom. Here there are no business licences, but you would be expected to declare yourself as a sole trader if you are making money, and become VAT registered if you are making a lot of money.

Do YouTubers Get Paid for Views?

What Counts as Making Money on YouTube?

This may seem like a bit of a silly section to include, but it is worth pointing that government organisations do not let you off if you play dumb or claim that you have only committed a minor crime.

All of the money you make is, legally speaking, supposed to be declared to your government. It doesn’t matter to them whether that money came as result of the YouTube Partner Programme, Super Chats, merchandise, Patreon, or anything else.

In other words, if you get a business licence for your YouTube channel, you can’t just declare the earnings that come directly from YouTube and hope to play ignorant if the government finds out about your Patreon.

Should I Apply For a Business Licence Straight Away

If you are not making money or doing anything that would warrant being classified as a business, there is no sense in rushing to getting a business licence. They are not prohibitively expensive, but they do cost money. And the process of getting one is rarely long or complicated. After all, business licences are essentially a means for taxing you, and governments aren’t in the habit of making it harder for them to get your money.

How Do I Make Money on YouTube?

All of the above may feel a little like getting ahead of yourself if you’re not sure how to make money on YouTube in the first place. Broadly speaking, it is a case of more views equals more money, but there are a few steps along the way to making that happen.

YouTube Partner Programme

Unless you have a compelling reason not to, your first goal should be to become part of the YouTube Partner Programme. There some requirements for doing this, but one of the advantages is that qualifying for the Partner Programme means you have reached certain milestones that show you are on the right path. Those requirements are;

  • Adhere to YouTube monetisation policies
  • Be in a region where the Partner Programme is available
  • Have at least 4,000 hours of valid public watch time over the last year
  • Have at least 1,000 subscribers
  • Have a linked AdSense account

Once you meet that criteria, you will be able to apply to the Partner Programme and, in the vast majority of cases, you will be accepted. From then on, YouTube will begin showing ads on eligible videos, and splitting the revenue generated from those ads with you.

Memberships

If and when you manage to build up a loyal audience, you can start to look at memberships as an option. If you are eligible, you can use YouTube’s built-in membership platform to do this, but there are also services like Patreon that can enable you to do this as well.

The premise is simple enough; users contribute a recurring amount to you to support your content, and as an added sweetener, you can offer exclusive content and other perks to encourage viewers to become members.

Merchandise

Merchandise isn’t for every channel, but for those that it is a good fit for, there are plenty of third party options, as well as YouTube’s own partnership for eligible channels. On-demand services mean you can offer merchandise without having to buy the stock in advance yourself, which significantly reduces the barrier to entry.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a way in which you can leverage your existing content by providing links and offers to your viewers which you get commission for. The most commonly used example of this is Amazon, where channels that review products or talk about new tech or similar can link off to those products through their Amazon affiliate links and earn a little money any time someone buys something through those links.

Affiliate links are handy because they can be used in a range of situations by a variety of channels. For example, a channel about improving your YouTube content might not have anything to sell, but they can leave a list of the equipment they use as affiliate links for people who are interested in using the same gear.

Final Thoughts

Business licences (or the equivalent for your jurisdiction) are the kind of thing that, practically speaking, won’t apply to most YouTubers. Sadly, the vast majority of YouTubers either don’t make any money from their channel, or they make so little that they’re probably never going to have to worry about the IRS paying them a visit.

That being said, if you earn any money from your YouTube channel, you will almost certainly be expected to declare that money to the government. While it’s true that you probably won’t have to worry if you are only making a few dollars here and there, you are still technically obliged to declare that money, and as such, legally in the wrong if you don’t.

Given the reach of YouTube and the many differences between states and countries, it is impossible for us to fit all of the relevant laws and regulations into one post. Always check your local laws and make sure you adhere to them. If you take your chances by not getting a business licence when you should, you do so at your own risk.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. Learn new skills for FREE with Skillshare

I SUCK reading books to learn, but I LOVE online video courses.

Every month I learn something new. Editing, writing, video skills, how to cook, how to run a business – even how to meditate to calm a busy mind.

I find all of these for FREE with Skillshare – Sign up, pick all the courses you want and cancel anytime you need.

5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.

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TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

Is Screen Recording YouTube Illegal?

Is Screen Recording YouTube Illegal?

Is screen recording YouTube illegal? Mostly it’s a grey area — and it depends on what you do next.

The act of recording your screen usually isn’t illegal in itself. But saving or sharing someone else’s video generally breaks YouTube’s Terms of Service, and reusing copyrighted content without permission can be copyright infringement. This guide untangles the recording, the Terms, and the law — so you know where the real risk sits.

⚠️ Please note: this is general information for creators, not legal advice. Copyright law and “fair use” vary by country and turn on the specific facts, and YouTube’s Terms change over time. For anything with real stakes, check YouTube’s current Terms and speak to a qualified lawyer.

Why trust this? I’m Alan Spicer — a YouTube Certified Expert with two decades on the platform and six Silver Play Buttons. I deal with copyright, the Terms of Service and content reuse constantly, so I can lay out the practical reality clearly (while still pointing you to a lawyer for the hard cases).

Building a channel and unsure what’s safe to use? Book a free discovery call.

🔑 Key takeaways

  • The recording itself usually isn’t illegal — the use is what matters.
  • Screen recording to save a video generally breaches YouTube’s Terms.
  • Reuploading or reusing copyrighted content can be infringement.
  • Fair use / fair dealing is limited, fact-specific and never guaranteed.
  • Risk is low for private viewing, high the moment you go public.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: Is screen recording YouTube illegal?
The recording itself is not usually illegal — screen recording is a normal device feature. But what you do with it matters: capturing a video to save or share it generally breaches YouTube’s Terms of Service, and reusing or reuploading copyrighted content without permission can be copyright infringement. Private personal viewing is low risk; going public is where the trouble starts.

Is Screen Recording YouTube Illegal? The Short Answer

Questions of ownership and copyright have followed the internet since the Napster days, and YouTube sits right in the grey area. So let’s separate three things people mix up:

  • The recording — pressing record on your screen is not, by itself, a crime. The tool is neutral.
  • YouTube’s Terms of Service — a contract between you and YouTube. Saving content via screen recording generally breaks it, but breaking a Terms of Service is not the same as breaking the law.
  • Copyright law — the actual law. This is where real legal risk lives, and it’s triggered by what you do with the recording, especially if you make it public.

So “is it illegal?” is the wrong single question. The better question is: what are you going to do with the recording? That answer decides everything.

What Is Screen Recording?

Screen recording captures whatever is playing on your device’s screen — video, audio, or both — and saves it as a file. It’s built into most phones and computers and is completely legitimate for recording your own content, tutorials, bug reports, gameplay you have rights to, and countless everyday uses. The technology isn’t the issue; the source material and your intended use are.

What YouTube’s Terms of Service Say

This is the part most people skip. YouTube’s Terms of Service broadly prohibit downloading, copying or reproducing content unless:

  • YouTube provides a download option (for example, offline viewing within the app), or
  • the content is in the public domain, or
  • you have the rights holder’s explicit permission.

Screen recording is a way of capturing a video outside those routes, so it generally breaches the Terms. Important nuance: breaching the Terms is a contract matter between you and YouTube — it can cost you your account, but it isn’t the same as breaking copyright law. The two often overlap, but they’re separate issues.

Every video on YouTube is protected by copyright, owned by whoever created it. Screen recording it doesn’t transfer any of those rights to you. The moment you redistribute, reupload, or build your own content around someone else’s video without permission, you’re potentially committing copyright infringement — a legal matter that can bring civil liability, not just a YouTube penalty.

This is the same principle that governs downloading YouTube videos and using other people’s videos: capturing the file is one thing, but publishing it is where rights holders — and the law — get involved.

What About Fair Use? Is It Fair Use to Screen Record YouTube?

Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in the UK) allow limited use of copyrighted material without permission — for commentary, criticism, review, news reporting, parody or education. It’s why reaction and review channels can exist. But two things trip creators up:

  • It’s never automatic. Fair use is a defence decided case by case, weighing factors like how much of the original you use, whether your use is transformative, and whether it harms the original’s market value.
  • It varies by country. The US “fair use” and UK “fair dealing” are different tests, and other countries differ again.

Treating fair use as a blanket permission slip is one of the most common — and costly — mistakes. For the detail on quantity, see how much of a video you can use legally and, for music, how much of a song you can use.

The Risk Spectrum: Personal Use vs Public Reuse

Not all screen recording carries the same risk. Here’s roughly how it stacks up:

What you do ToS? Copyright risk Overall risk
Record for private personal viewing Breaches Low 🟢 Low (rarely enforced)
Reupload someone’s video as your own Breaches High 🔴 High (claims, strikes, legal)
Use clips in commentary/review Breaches Depends on fair use 🟠 Medium (fact-specific)
Record public-domain / your own / licensed OK None 🟢 Low (safe)

Getting Caught & the Consequences

What can actually happen ranges from nothing to serious:

  • Terms of Service action. YouTube can remove content or penalise your account for breaching its Terms.
  • Copyright claims & strikes. Reupload protected content and you can get a Content ID claim (revenue diverted) or a copyright strike — three strikes and the channel is removed.
  • Legal action. In serious cases a rights holder can pursue you directly for infringement.

For private, personal recordings, real-world enforcement is rare — but the risk climbs steeply the moment the recording goes public or makes money.

Not sure what’s safe to use on your channel?

On a free discovery call we’ll sort out what you can and can’t reuse — and build a content plan that keeps you on the right side of the rules.

Book Your Free Discovery Call →

The safe routes are simpler than they sound:

  • Public domain. Works whose copyright has expired or been waived are free to use — see public-domain video sources and whether YouTube videos are public domain (spoiler: almost never).
  • Creative Commons. Some creators license their work for reuse with attribution — always check the specific licence terms.
  • Get permission. A quick message to the creator can be all it takes.
  • License it properly or use royalty-free libraries built for creators.
  • Make your own. The only 100% safe footage is footage you shot or created yourself.

If your format is built on other people’s work — reactions, reviews, compilations — read up on the same principles in making videos from books and using copyrighted music before you publish.

Screen Recording YouTube: FAQ

Is screen recording YouTube illegal?

The act of screen recording is not usually illegal in itself — it’s a normal feature of most devices. What matters is what you do with the recording. Screen recording to save or redistribute someone else’s video generally breaches YouTube’s Terms of Service, and reusing or reuploading copyrighted content without permission can be copyright infringement. Recording for private personal viewing is lower risk but still against YouTube’s Terms.

Does screen recording YouTube break the Terms of Service?

Generally yes. YouTube’s Terms of Service prohibit downloading or copying content unless a download option is provided by YouTube, the content is in the public domain, or you have the rights holder’s permission. Screen recording to capture a video is a way around that restriction, so it typically breaches the Terms — which is a contract issue with YouTube, separate from copyright law.

Can you get in trouble for screen recording YouTube?

For private personal use, enforcement is rare, though it still breaks YouTube’s Terms. The real trouble comes from what you do next: reuploading or redistributing someone’s content can trigger copyright claims or strikes on your channel, account action from YouTube, or — in serious cases — legal action from the rights holder. The risk rises sharply the moment you make the recording public.

Is it fair use to screen record a YouTube video?

Sometimes, but it’s never automatic. Fair use (US) and fair dealing (UK) can cover limited use for commentary, criticism, review, news or education — but it’s decided case by case on factors like how much you use and whether it harms the original’s value. Assuming fair use as a blanket defence is risky; when in doubt, get permission or use licensed or public-domain material.

How can I use YouTube content legally?

Use content that’s in the public domain, licensed under Creative Commons with attribution, or that you have explicit permission to use. You can also license footage properly, or create your own. If you’re reacting to or reviewing content, keep your use limited and transformative, and understand you’re still relying on a fair-use argument that isn’t guaranteed.

Final Thoughts

So, is screen recording YouTube illegal? The recording itself usually isn’t — but that’s the wrong place to stop. Saving a video almost always breaks YouTube’s Terms, and the real legal risk switches on when you reuse or republish someone else’s copyrighted work without permission. Keep a recording to yourself and you’re in low-risk (if technically non-compliant) territory; publish it and you’ve stepped into copyright’s firing line. The clean path is the same one the professionals use: stick to public-domain, licensed, permitted, or your own content — and when the stakes are real, ask a lawyer rather than guessing.

Build a channel that stays out of trouble.

A free discovery call gets you a two-decade head start on what you can safely use, reuse and publish — without the copyright headaches.

Book Your Free Discovery Call →

A note on this guide: this is general information for creators, not legal advice. The rules described reflect YouTube’s Terms of Service and general copyright principles at the time of writing (July 2026); both YouTube’s Terms and copyright law vary by country and change over time. For decisions with real consequences, consult a qualified lawyer.
Categories
TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

Is It Legal to Make YouTube Videos from Books?

Is It Legal to Make YouTube Videos from Books? 4

“This video was taken down due to copyright infringement.” If you make book content — reviews, BookTube, readings, summaries — that’s the sentence that keeps you up at night. So, is it legal to make YouTube videos from books? The short version: talking about a book is usually fine; reproducing the book usually isn’t. This guide explains where the line sits in 2026, in plain English — copyright basics, fair use, what you can and can’t do, and how to stay safe.

⚠️ Important: I’m a YouTube expert, not a lawyer, and this article is general information, not legal advice. Copyright law varies by country and every situation is different. For anything specific — especially if you’ve been accused of infringement — speak to a qualified copyright solicitor or attorney.

The one principle to remember: copyright protects the expression — the actual words the author wrote — not the ideas, facts or your opinions about them. Share your own thoughts freely; reproduce someone else’s words carefully.

Why read this here? I’m Alan Spicer — a YouTube Certified Expert with two decades on the platform and six Silver Play Buttons. I’ve helped creators navigate copyright claims and strikes for years, so this is the practical, real-world version of how it plays out on YouTube.

Worried about a claim on your channel? Book a free discovery call.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: Is it legal to make YouTube videos from books?
It depends what you do. Reviewing, discussing or critiquing a book in your own words is generally legal — that’s your original content. Reading a copyrighted book aloud, or reproducing large passages, generally isn’t without permission. Public-domain books can be used freely. Fair use and fair dealing can permit limited quotation for criticism and review, but they’re judged case by case — not a blanket free pass. (General information, not legal advice.)

Copyright is the automatic legal protection given to original creative works the moment they’re created — including books. It gives the author (or whoever holds the rights) exclusive control over how their work is copied, distributed, performed and adapted. You don’t have to register it; it exists as soon as the work is written.

Two things are worth understanding. First, copyright protects the author’s expression — the specific words and creative choices — not the underlying ideas, facts or themes. You can discuss the ideas in a book all day; you just can’t reproduce its text. Second, protection lasts a long time — commonly the author’s lifetime plus 70 years in the UK, US and much of the world — after which the work enters the public domain and can be used freely. YouTube’s own copyright resources and the UK government’s copyright guidance are good primers.

So, Can You Make YouTube Videos From Books?

Yes — a great deal of book content is completely legitimate. The whole world of BookTube (channels reviewing, discussing and recommending books) thrives precisely because talking about books is different from reproducing them. When you share your opinion of a novel, break down its themes, recommend your favourites or discuss an author’s career, you’re creating your own original commentary. The book is the subject; the video is yours.

Where it gets risky is when your video reproduces the work itself — reading a copyrighted book aloud, showing pages of text on screen, or copying long passages. That reproduces the author’s expression, which is exactly what copyright protects. The safest book content adds something of your own: analysis, criticism, opinion, humour, education — a transformation, not a copy.

What You Can and Can’t Do (General Guide)

A rough map of common book-content activities. This is general guidance, not a ruling on any specific case — always check your own situation.

Activity Generally… Why
Reviewing or critiquing a book ✅ Usually fine Your own opinion & analysis
Discussing themes, ideas, plot in your words ✅ Usually fine Ideas aren’t copyrighted
Quoting a short line for review ⚠️ Often OK, keep it minimal May be fair use / fair dealing
Reading a copyrighted book aloud ❌ Usually not Reproduces the work
Copying large passages on screen ❌ Usually not Reproduces the expression
Using a public-domain book ✅ Free to use fully Copyright has expired

Fair Use and Fair Dealing (In Plain English)

You’ll hear “fair use” thrown around as if it makes anything legal. It doesn’t. Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in the UK and many Commonwealth countries) are legal doctrines that can permit limited use of copyrighted material for certain purposes — criticism, review, commentary, news, research and education among them.

In the US, courts weigh four factors: the purpose and character of the use (is it transformative? commercial or educational?), the nature of the original work, how much you used, and the effect on the market for the original. UK fair dealing is narrower — it applies to specific permitted purposes (like criticism and review), and generally requires that the use is really fair and that you acknowledge the source.

The crucial point: fair use and fair dealing are defences, decided case by case — not a checkbox that guarantees you’re safe. Leaning on them means being really transformative, using no more than you need, and crediting the work. When real money or a real dispute is involved, that’s a lawyer’s call, not a rule of thumb.

What Happens If You’re Accused of Infringement?

On YouTube, this usually shows up in one of two ways. A Content ID claim is automated — the system spots matching material and the rights-holder can block, track or monetise your video. It isn’t a penalty on your channel, but it can demonetise or restrict the video. A copyright strike is more serious: a formal legal removal request from a rights-holder. Accumulate three strikes and your channel can be terminated.

If it happens, don’t panic — but don’t ignore it either. Read exactly what’s being claimed. If you really believe your use is permitted (say, a clear review with minimal quotation), YouTube provides dispute and counter-notification processes — but a counter-notification is a legal step with real consequences if you’re wrong, so get advice before firing one off. This is one of those moments where “general information” stops being enough and a copyright solicitor earns their fee.

Building a book or review channel the right way?

On a free discovery call we’ll plan content that grows fast and stays on the right side of the rules.

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How to Make Book Videos Safely

The practical playbook for staying on the right side of the line:

✅ Be transformative. Add your own analysis, criticism, opinion or education — make the video about the book, not a copy of it.

✅ Keep quotation minimal. A short line to illustrate a point is very different from reproducing pages. Less is safer, and always attribute.

✅ Use public-domain works. Classic literature whose copyright has expired is free to read, adapt and build on — see using public-domain content on YouTube.

✅ Get permission or a licence when you want to use more than review allows — many authors and publishers are open to it, especially for promotion.

✅ When in doubt, ask a lawyer. For anything commercial or contested, professional advice is cheaper than a terminated channel.

Need ideas that sidestep the whole problem? Reviews, “best books” lists, author discussions and reading vlogs are all low-risk and popular — my content ideation framework can help you generate dozens. And if books are your niche, my roundup of the 50 best books for freelancers is a ready-made source of review material.

Conclusion

So, is it legal to make YouTube videos from books? For the vast majority of book creators — reviewers, BookTubers, discussion channels — yes, because you’re sharing your own commentary, not reproducing the work. The trouble starts only when a video copies the book itself: reading it aloud, or reproducing substantial text without permission. Stay transformative, quote sparingly, lean on public-domain works, and get advice when real stakes are involved. Do that, and you can build a thriving book channel without ever seeing that dreaded takedown notice.

Books & YouTube Copyright: FAQ

Is it legal to make YouTube videos about books?

Usually, yes — if you’re reviewing, discussing or critiquing a book in your own words, that’s your own original content and is generally allowed. The line is crossed when you reproduce the book itself, such as reading it aloud or copying large passages. Talking about a book is very different, legally, from reproducing it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can you read a book aloud on YouTube?

Generally not without permission. Reading a copyrighted book aloud reproduces the author’s work, which is one of the rights copyright protects, so it typically requires a licence or the rights-holder’s permission. The main exception is books in the public domain, which anyone can read and use freely. If in doubt, seek permission or legal advice.

Is BookTube legal?

Yes. BookTube — channels that review, discuss and recommend books — is generally legal because creators are sharing their own opinions and analysis, not reproducing the books. Showing a cover, mentioning the title and quoting a short line for review are typically fine. Problems only arise if a video reproduces substantial portions of the text.

What is fair use for books on YouTube?

Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in the UK) are legal doctrines that can permit limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like criticism, review, commentary or education. They’re judged case by case on factors such as how transformative the use is, how much you use, and the effect on the market. They’re a defence, not a guarantee, so they don’t automatically make any use legal.

Can you get a copyright strike for a video about a book?

It’s possible if a rights-holder believes you’ve reproduced their work. Reviews and commentary rarely trigger strikes, but reading passages or reproducing text can. YouTube handles this through Content ID claims and copyright strikes; a claim may block or demonetise a video, while repeated strikes can risk your channel. Keeping your content transformative is the best protection.

Can you use public domain books on YouTube?

Yes. Once a book is in the public domain — generally when copyright has expired, which varies by country but is often decades after the author’s death — anyone can use it freely, including reading it in full. Classic literature is a rich, legal source of content. Always confirm a specific work’s public-domain status in your country before relying on it.

Build your book channel with confidence.

A free discovery call gets you a two-decade head start on growing a channel that’s both popular and safe — no takedown surprises.

Book Your Free Discovery Call →

Sources & disclaimer: general copyright principles reference YouTube’s fair use resources and UK government copyright guidance, current at the time of writing (July 2026). This article is general information and not legal advice; copyright law varies by country and changes over time. For your specific situation, consult a qualified copyright lawyer.