Ludwig Is Being Blamed For The Twitch DMCA Issues

The streaming community is currently in one of its messiest periods to date, as Twitch is hammering hard on the doors of content creators who stream copyrighted material to their viewers. Subsequently, some of the most famous streamers have been banned and have been left contemplating just what exactly they can now stream about. Who's to blame? Well, Ludwig "Ludwig" Ahgren, according to some.

The rules surrounding the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) are a little fuzzy for many. There have been instances in the past when some of the most prolific streamers had their content taken down for breaching copyright laws, in what was later labelled a "bloodbath". However, that hasn't stopped famous Twitch personalities from broadcasting their reactions to popular TV show clips on YouTube, like MasterChef, and even livestreaming entire films for their audience.

Subsequently, Twitch has started cracking down on such content and been banning high-profile content creators left, right, and centre leaving fans devastated. As many streamers have been including copyrighted material in their videos without a hitch for a while now, many claim that the catalyst in prompting Twitch's lockdown is YouTuber Ludwig.  

Why Is Ludwig Being Blamed For The Twitch DMCA Issues?

On January 2, 2022, Ludwig posted a YouTube video titled 'React Streamers have gone too far...'. In the video, the YouTuber warned that Twitch streamers who watch copyrighted material that belongs to other big companies, such as TV shows and films, are running the risk of ruining Twitch as we know it. He explained that he thought things we're getting "a little out of hand. And I think we might need a bit of a course correction before this all comes crashing down."

While some praised Ludwig for speaking up about the issue, others were highly critical of the YouTuber. For example, Felix "xQc" Lengyel slated Ludwig for his views and joked about the former Twitch streamer being banned on multiple occasions for featuring copyrighted material, such as 'Baby Shark' in his videos. However, some fans on Reddit worried that by posting about the issue publicly, Ludwig could have brought the issue to the attention of media companies. In doing so, they would flock to have their copyrighted material either paid for or taken down.  

For example, when Hasan "HasanAbi" Piker received a warning notification from Twitch for livestreaming MasterChef on January 8, fans were quick to blame Ludwig. As one fan claimed on Reddit claimed: "This is exactly what Ludwig has been instigating. He wanted Twitch to suck as much as YouTube, so he kept drawing negative attention and saying "wE neEd To TaLk AbOuT tWiTcH's NeW rEaCt MeTa" knowing full well it would inspire a meta of its own that'd hurt streamers."

How Did Ludwig React To The Accusations?

To answer the accusations, Ludwig posted a video on his second YouTube page, Mogul Mail on January 10. In the video, Ludwig claimed he had been called "a nark" by some for posting his original 'React Streamers have gone too far...' and subsequently causing streamers to be banned from Twitch. The 26-year-old explained that having scanned social media, he found that he was "one of the larger antagonists" in the saga. Ludwig added: "We wanna live in a world without copyright claims as a viewer and as a streamer. As a streamer because it’s incredibly easy". He continued: "Viewers would also like that because it's better content than watching League Of Legends [...] it's probably more entertaining to watch Gordon Ramsay yell at a new chef."

While accepting that copyright is necessary to ensure content isn't stolen, he warned: "If all copyright was enforced then things like reacting would be illegal, obviously, but more so gaming". The YouTuber further claimed that, if Twitch really did clamp down on copyright, then even emotes would be at risk of disappearing as even they are "straight up rips" from other media like SpongeBob SquarePants and Pokémon. 

Ludwig's video may have caused him to get a lot of hate from viewers who feel he has caused Twitch to clamp down on streamers who feature copyrighted material. However, his fans claimed that Ludwig was 'the only one' who wasn't afraid to address the issue and that his comments merely served as a warning for his fellow streamers.